Those Who Are Lost
by AraelDranoth
Summary: She found herself lost in a strange land, hunted and without a past. He had lost his way after the war and found himself on a journey of redemption. It was fate that those who were lost should find each other. A Post-War fic with amnesia.
1. The Girl Who Lost Herself

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 1

Himawari

The Girl Who Lost Herself

* * *

Well here it is guys, my last story in my series. I will not be creating any new stories until I have finished some of my current ones which should be updated a little more frequently as I have finished the draft theory for the plotlines for all of them.

Anyway I know that A/N's can be annoying and tedious so I won't keep you from the story any longer.

I present to you the premiere chapter of Those Who Are Lost.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are both the rightful property of Masashi Kishimoto, the true Kami of Shinobi.

* * *

" _HIMAWARI! RUN! RUN AS FAST YOU CAN! DO IT NOW!"_

She awoke screaming her lungs out. Her body and her mind burned with such intense agony that she couldn't see or hear anything but pain.

She swore someone was touching her, doing their best to calm her with soothing words but it was all lost in the fire that ravaged her body.

It was too much, the pain was too much and she couldn't stop screaming, why couldn't she stop screaming?

She felt a small pinch in her arm and then the fire stopped and so did everything else.

" _HIMAWARI!"_

" _It's too late. She belongs to us now."_

She had one last thought before she sank back into oblivion, away from the pain.

 _Himawari, is that… who I am?_

* * *

She woke up and the pain blossomed all over her body once more. This time however, the fire had been replaced with a deep aching sensation that elicited a groan of anguish rather than a scream of pain.

This sensation was new… different in the agony that it induced and she found that she was able to focus her thoughts a little more clearly. But that in of itself had produced an altogether new problem.

There was nothing to focus. There was just a great void in her mind, a sort of blackness where she instinctively knew there should be… something.

In fact there seemed to be only one thing floating around inside of her head.

 _Himawari._

What a strange sounding word but it seemed so familiar, so controlling. Was that her?

Was she Himawari?

She tried shaking her head to rid herself of these loud ponderings but found that this caused sharp pains in her neck and yet again the agony reaped another groan of discomfort from her lungs.

Why did it hurt so much? And why couldn't she see anything?

 _It's so dark._

Desperately she tried opening her eyes but the lids remained stubbornly shut, feeling as though there was a great weight resting upon them.  
Again she tried, like a parched man reaching for water; she fought against her heavy eyelids, thirsty for the light.

"I see you're conscious again. You are indeed the most stubborn patient I've ever had, girl." The voice came from somewhere to her left and she tried desperately to keep from panicking at this new development.

She wasn't alone in this darkness and for some reason that made it even more terrifying and she didn't know why.

"Stop trying to open your eyes, you're not ready for that yet." The voice continued, male and rough, like sandpaper in its quality. She could feel someone move beside her, heavy footsteps thudding across a wooden floor and then the large hand resting on her forehead, no doubt checking her temperature.

She didn't like this but it seemed all she could do to display her discomfort was to let out a small whimper.

"It's alright girl. I'm a doctor, my name is Kouda and you've been in my care for the past 3 weeks."

She tried opening her mouth to speak but all that came out was a dry crack, no doubt a result of her injuries and not using her throat for anything other than screaming for the entire time she had been conscious here in this place.

 _Wherever here is._

"Easy there girl! It's been a while since you used your lungs, here drink this." She soon felt cold glass pressed against her lips.

She felt the sensation of cold liquid seeping through to clash against her teeth and she immediately tried to gulp it down as quickly as she could. This 'Kouda' didn't seem to think that this was such a good idea and gently but firmly pulled the glass away.

"Not so quickly. Small sips understand? Now let's try this again." His voice was gruff but with a more subtle, gentler undertone to it.

Again she felt the glass and the liquid against her cracked lips. Resisting the urge to swallow everything all at once, she followed Kouda's advice and drank the water in small but frequent sips, desperate to soothe the raw feeling in her throat. After a minute or so the glass left her lips and she felt better for it.

"Wh-" She tried to say only to let out a dry cough halfway through.

"Where are you? You're in my clinic… which also serves as my home. More specifically you're a few miles away from Kudamono no Machi on the border between the Land of Lightning and the Lands Unknown." The answer was given pre-emptively but efficiently as well, Kouda rattling off the information like he was answering an exam question.

"No." She told him, frustrated that she could say so little still. Kouda for his part fell silent which she took to mean that he was waiting for her to speak, to ask what she really wanted to ask.

"Who… am… I?" She asked, trying with all of her willpower not to cry in front of this man.

Kouda remained silent save for a small sigh and the retreating of footsteps. For a moment she was afraid that he had left and with him, the answer to her question. She couldn't stop a sob of relief from escaping her when he told her quietly.

"I don't know girl… I don't know... the sedative should kick in soon, get some sleep." And with that the footsteps receded further along with the sound of a door being gently closed.

She could feel herself slipping back into oblivion and this time she welcomed it.

 _I think he drugged the water._

* * *

Six months.

It had been six months since she had woken up in complete agony under Kouda's roof and she had learned a lot since then.

She knew that she had been brought to Kouda's clinic on the back of a merchant's cart. That the merchants had thought her dead and knew that Kouda as the town doctor might know her identity so that he may inform the family.

She knew that she nearly gave Kouda a heart attack when he discovered that she was still alive. As well as the fact that she was so severely wounded that the fact that she survived long enough to be healed was by all rights a miracle or two at least.

And lastly she knew her name.

Himawari was the name screamed in her nightmares and that's who she decided she was going to be. It was better than being called 'girl' by Kouda at any rate.

Since her awakening her condition had improved remarkably but she was still a ways off from being considered healthy. Himawari remembered the first time she opened her eyes only to discover that she was missing the one on the right. Kouda told her that he had tried to save the eye but it had been dangling out of her skull for too long and had become infected.

Most of her body had been bandaged and her arms and legs at the time had remained in casts, the result of her bones being broken in multiple places. Kouda informed her that the merchants had found her floating in the river and that if he (Kouda) had to take a guess, he would venture that she had floated downstream after having taken a tumble off of one of the Land of Lightning's infamous gargantuan waterfalls.

And if the numerous lacerations and other wounds covering her body were any indication, then she was also a victim of an attack prior to her little trip over the falls.

Other than that the only other consequence of her circumstances was perhaps the most aggravating to her. She couldn't remember anything about herself beyond her name.

Kouda explained to her that with the kind of trauma she had endured, both physically and surely mentally, this wasn't a surprise.

Today was a beautiful day, she could tell. She woke up to the sound of birds singing in the trees and the sight of a single golden beam of sunlight peeking out from between the small gap in the curtains by her window.

Slowly she sat up in bed, taking care not to move too quickly or make any sharp, sudden movements for fear of injuring herself before she had completed her course of physiotherapy under Kouda's guidance.

Swinging out of bed steadily she got to her feet, placing a hand on the bed's headboard in order to assist and steady her as she did this.

"Breakfast is ready girl!" She heard Kouda call from downstairs, his deep voice booming easily throughout the small two-floor house that served a doubly as his clinic.

"I'll be down in a sec!" she called back. She let a small smile grow on her face as she looked at her legs, peeking out from under her nightshirt, something Kouda had provided for her when he realised how long it would take for her to recover.

" _Here." He told her gruffly, all but shoving a pile of clothes into her arms where she lay in the bed._

" _You got these for me?" She asked him, her eye widened in shock._

" _No… They belonged to my daughter, she's gone now and you seem to be her size."_

Her legs, like the rest of her body, were covered in scars; long cuts running down the length of both limbs with a myriad of smaller scars crisscrossing all over the rest of the skin which Kouda guessed were most likely from tripping onto Makabishi spikes or something else similar in design to the caltrops. Up until a month ago, she had been unable to walk without constant assistance.

Shaking herself out of her stupor she moved to the bathroom in order to freshen herself up. Himawari took a quick shower, revelling in the feel of the hot water as it flowed over her body, soothing the aches in her muscles and bones.

Afterwards she found herself in front of the mirror.

The first time Himawari had seen her reflection in the mirror she had fainted from the shock. She looked like she had been through hell and, to be fair, in the beginning she had felt like it too.  
Her hair had grown considerably since then. From what she had been told it was originally short, not even reaching her shoulders. Now though, waves of indigo flowed down to just past her shoulder blades with a single lock falling in front of her empty socket.

At least it didn't get in the way as she couldn't see it.

"It's getting cold girl!"

Himawari jumped not expecting to hear Kouda's voice on the other side of the bathroom door.

"I-I said I was coming!" She squeaked back only to hear a small chuckle and the retreating of footsteps. Reaching into one of the sink's drawers she procured an eyepatch and proceeded to affix it to her head.

Smiling to herself in the mirror she gave her reflection a wink before making her way downstairs for breakfast.

* * *

 _Two months later_

"You can't keep staying here."

Himawari looked up from her work, tending to the herb garden. Since she had completed her physio a month ago, she had taken to helping Kouda with his work and the upkeep of his estate, he was well past his prime and struggled to do it himself anymore. It was all she could do to begin to repay him for saving her life and providing her with a home.

"Why can't I?"

Kouda, from his comfortable position on the porch's rocking chair, let out a small puff of smoke from his pipe, watching as it lazily rose into the air before dissipating into nothingness.

"Well for starters, I'm too old to be raising a child." To this, Himawari tried unsuccessfully to cover up her soft snort with an impromptu cough. Kouda opened one eye to look at her suspiciously.

"What else?" She asked him in order to cover up her mistake, trying to focus on pulling out dead roots to make room for new ones to grow.

"You may have family out there, looking for you." At this she froze before wringing her hands together agitatedly.

"You're my family." She tried weakly only for Kouda to choke briefly on his pipe before belching out the smoke along with a deep laugh.

"You're a sweet one Himawari! But we both know that's not true. One day, your memories will return and you'll learn who you truly are. Finding your family now can only hasten that day." He told her gently before leaning back in his chair.

Himawari said nothing but stood to her feet, wiping down her hands.

"I know it seems rushed and unfair but I have my reasons for doing this so quickly now that your therapy is complete."

"And what would those be?" She growled, shooting him a glare filled with as much heat as her nine years old eye could muster.

"I know the kind of wounds you suffered all too well I'm afraid. I don't think it was bandits who did this to you." He snapped, clearly ruffled by her accusatorial tone.

"What?"

Kouda let out an annoyed huff and pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

"It doesn't matter girl, just the ramblings of an old man. Go wash up so we can prepare dinner." He told her, countering her questioning glance with a stern one of his own.

* * *

Dinner had never been a quiet affair between the two of them, much to Kouda's chagrin. It seemed that memory loss as extensive as Himawari's came with an overabundance of questions about, well just about everything… or perhaps the questions were just a result of the child's natural curiosity coming into play.

Either way Kouda was sure of one thing: He was definitely getting too old for this.

Dinner, however, had never been as quiet as it had between the two of them that night. They had kept the meal plain and simple; bread and miso soup.

"I don't want to go. This place, you, it's all I know." Himawari whispered, her tone belying the terror he knew she must be feeling. Kouda put down his spoon with a sigh, leaning back in his chair and looking upon her with aged, tired eyes.

"I know girl, I know." He told her with gently.

Turning his gaze to the moon, shining through the porch door's glass panes he turned pensive. The full moon always brought back painful memories with it.

"I was never a good husband… and an even worse father." He began tiredly, hoping that she was paying attention.

"I was a drunk you know… perhaps it was because of the stress of the job? Or perhaps I just loved the bottle more deeply than I did my family." His tone turned bitter as he returned his attention to the girl. He could see the curious look in her eye and knew he should elaborate.

"I didn't always live here. Originally, I served as surgeon for Iwagakure's armed shinobi forces, requisitioned by the Tsuchikage himself from the Daimyo's personal staff for the Great War." Himawari remained silent, her focus solely on him and the food long forgotten.

"The drink… it consumed me, made me angry and I… hurt my wife. My daughter, she was your age, despite everything I did, never gave up on me and was always trying to get me back on my feet." Here he cracked a broken smile in her direction but she gave no indication as to what she thought.

"At least until the day that she did give up on me. I came home early in the morning, having spent the evening at the local bar to find my home empty, all of their possessions gone and a note on my dresser."

"I-" Kouda tried to continue but found that he couldn't. When he felt her hand cover his own he knew he didn't have to. He had spent years looking for them without any success before giving up. He left Iwa shortly after that to settle down in his clinic out here on the borderlands.

"I understand." She told him, moving over to him, embracing him in a hug, trying desperately to keep her silent tears to herself.

"Do you? I lost my family too and I would give anything in this world for the chance to see them again, to make things right but I can't, they're gone now." He asked her softly. When she remained silent he pressed onwards.

"You should at least try Himawari, if not for your sake then for mine? Perhaps if we can find your family then I can find at least some semblance of closure for my failings." It was a lame excuse but it was all he could think to say.

As far as personal tragedies go, his was inconsequential compared to others he was sure. It didn't mean it left him anything other than broken once it had passed.

"Okay." This time, she couldn't have kept her crying in with all the willpower in the world.

A week later they began putting posters up.

Posters of a one-eyed girl with indigo hair and whisker like markings on her cheeks.

* * *

Not the most exciting writing I know but I needed to get the ball rolling.

I was afraid of Mary Sue writing this but I kind of needed extensive descriptions of Himawari's character to explain the extent of some of her injuries. I have not seen her in the anime, only in the manga and I think that until a Boruto series comes out in full swing I have a lot of leeway with this character and her personality. It's also why I gave her amnesia and made her older too.

Not sure who will want to know but the inspiration of this fic came from Johnny Cash's song: Hurt, Trailer 1 of Logan and the anime movie; Sword of the Stranger (dubbed).

PLEASE REVIEW IF YOU LIKE IT! REVIEWS MOTIVATE ME TO WRITE! (I know I'm greedy!)

See you guys next time!


	2. The Shinobi With No Name

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 2

The Shinobi with No Name

Hey there guys! It's AraelDranoth here, bringing to you the next chapter of this story which will focus on one of everyone's favourite clans: The Uchiha.

It's time our second protagonist made his appearance and here it is.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These brilliant stories along with their amazing characters are the rightful property of Masashi Kishimoto (and his army of lawyers!).

* * *

Gou woke up that morning feeling like it was going to be the best day of his life yet.  
Why wouldn't he after all? Here in the Lands Unknown, the concept of chakra and the ability to shape and mould such a mystical force was little more than a fairytale told to children just before they went to sleep.

Back in the Hidden Countries he was nobody. Originally hailing from the Village Hidden in the Grass, Gou had quickly risen to the level of Jounin displaying an aptitude for fire jutsu, a skill considered to be unusual in a Shinobi Village which specialised in poisons, assassination and earth style techniques rather than that of fire ninjutsu. He was considered to be an honourable shinobi with a remarkable skill set, one that was invaluable to his Kage and Daimyo against the Hidden Grass's numerous enemies.

At least until he defected of course. That had been over a decade ago though and he had spent six of those years running around the Hidden Countries like a headless chicken before he had made his way to this place.

Now here, in the Lands Unknown, he was a god. It turned out that Hunter-nin didn't venture out into foreign lands, or any shinobi for that matter. It's what made it the perfect place to start a new life away from the humdrum drama of the shinobi world.

In just a few months he used his gifts to take control of various groups of bandits and raiders to create his own private army to do his bidding and they wasted no time in doing so. His men had terrorised the local villages into paying tribute in order for his gang's 'protection' from other gangs. Those that defied or resisted his rule were dealt with swiftly, subject to horrifying illusions that culminated in them taking their own lives or just plain torture and execution, depending on his mood that day.

When he was feeling bored or in need of practice he'd take a life himself if only to prove the point of his superiority to the sheep under his thumb.

As he lay there in bed, surrounded by the naked flesh of the young girls from the surrounding villages that he had 'chosen' to be his brides, a single thought crossed his mind.

 _My life is perfect._

He had no idea what was coming.

* * *

Kamui let out an uneasy snort beneath him, obviously sensing the same thing he did. He was being followed.

Sasuke had sensed them a while back; they'd been stalking him for a few hours now and had grown bolder, closing in bit by bit until they were close enough to spook his horse.

Reaching down he brushed Kamui's neck gently, trying to soothe her as best he could. Any other horse would have bolted by now, considering the number of people hiding in the surrounding brush. He could hear the unsheathing of weapons and the heavy breathing from the surrounding vegetation from atop his saddle.  
There were roughly two dozen or so of them poorly attempting to conceal themselves in the hopes of waylaying him.

 _This is what I get for using the Merchant's road I guess._

Since he had entered these lands, he had been held up several times, none of which ended well for the people who did so.

"It's alright girl, just a few rats. It's nothing we can't handle."

Kamui may have been nervous but she was hardly about to bolt from a fight, not with a rider like him.

Sasuke spurred her forwards into a light canter, appearing as if he had not noticed the ambush waiting for him just around the bend.

Though he would never admit it, he found himself mildly surprised at the gall of these highwaymen. This was almost never heard of back in the Hidden Countries, bandits there could almost smell the chakra coming off of trained shinobi and avoided them like the plague because of it. He supposed that if there was one thing he had learned all this time in the borderlands it was that things worked quite differently.

He could sense the circle closing around him, the bandits clearly thinking that they had entrapped fresh new prey. They definitely had no idea just how wrong they were.

Up ahead, one of the men stood in the middle of the road, dressed in simple merchant garb with a travelling cloak upon his shoulders, his attire no doubt chosen specifically to put victims at ease before the trap was sprung.

Deciding to humour him, Sasuke continued onwards only coming to a stop a few steps from the man.

He greeted Sasuke with a charming smile stepping forwards and reaching forward to pet Kamui's nose.

"Don't touch my horse." He told him sharply in warning "She's a biter."

Appropriately, the smile vanished and the man's hand froze outstretched for a moment before slowly falling to his side the smile returning as it did so.

"Fair enough" The man told him before grinning widely "Greetings there friend! You look like you've had a hard journey so far."

"You've no idea 'friend'" Sasuke replied, chuckling softly under his breath. The man nodded sagely as if he understood what Sasuke meant.

"Well then you're in luck, there's a town a few miles down the road where you can rest and resupply for wherever you're headed Mr…?" At this, Sasuke raised a single slender eyebrow.

"Does it matter?"

The man looked taken aback for a moment before shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly.  
"I suppose it doesn't."

"Thanks for the information." Sasuke told him before gently spurring Kamui forwards. Then the man made his first mistake; he grabbed the reins.

"Woah, slow down there friend. You see the town is in dire straits financially and as such our benevolent leader has instituted a toll on this road for all travellers coming into town." The man explained that painted smile still presenting itself, causing Sasuke no small amount of irritation.

"I don't have any money." To this, the man cut him off with a wave of his free hand.

"I'm sure we can come to some other arrangement. Your horse, that sword, maybe that necklace you're wearing? That should just about cover the fee… why don't you hand them over?"

"That's not going to happen." Sasuke answered, narrowing his eyes and assessing the situation. The man dropped his grin into a grimace, stepping back until there was a few feet separating the two.

"Now that's a right shame." He let out a sharp whistle and almost immediately men began filing out of the woods to surround the horse-bound shinobi.

"You see the boys and I have our orders from the boss and he would just love the shit you got on you. The boys and I have to earn our keep or we and our families go hungry tonight. So what do you say fella? Don't you want to help your fellow man?"

"This is your warning. You won't get another so listen closely. Back off before we both do something we don't want to." Sasuke told them seeming bored of the conversation they were having.

The man let out a small sigh and shook his head disappointedly. "I tried doing this civilly but it seems you don't know how to treat people nicely, so now we got to not only take your stuff but teach you a lesson about what happens when you mess with the boss-man."

Sasuke dismounted from Kamui, retrieving Kusanagi as he did so from its place amongst his saddlebags. He thought about placing Kamui under a mild genjutsu to prevent the steed from spooking if things got bad but decided against it considering some of their previous adventures.

"I don't want to fight you, just get out of my way and nobody has to die today." He told them as a final warning, arms at his sides, fingers brushing Kusanagi's hilt and seeming completely at ease despite the number of swords pointed in his direction.

"You think you can take us on? Our boss trained us in the mystical ninja art of taijutsu! Do you have any idea how many lives we've taken with the skills he's taught us?! We're going to destroy you!" The man boasted loudly incredulous of the Uchiha's suggestion.

 _So their boss is a shinobi? Interesting…_

"No." He told them, his eyes turning from obsidian to something much darker.

"No?" One of the bandits asked another unsurely.

"I don't think I can take you. I know I can. Last chance, let me pass."

The men all laughed and jeered,moving forward and closing the distance between themselves and their prey.

"Kill him. Bring me the sword when you're done, the rest goes to the boss." The man ordered before turning around and walking away, confident in the skills of his boys. He heard them roar and charge forward and heard the sound of flesh being pierced by cold hard steel. Whereas most would have winced at the sound, the man almost shivered with satisfaction. That was a lot of steel for one body but the traveller was a fool and deserved it.

He hadn't taken his fifth step before the screaming started.

* * *

"You think you've won?! You think this is over?! Boss Gou is going to rip your eyeballs from their sockets for what you've done!" The man roared, his grin long gone and a wild look in his eyes as they flitted from side to side, desperately looking for anything that could help him escape from this nightmare had found himself in.

Seven seconds.

It had taken a mere seven seconds for this traveller with no name to massacre his comrades. Massacre was definitely the right word as the forest floor and the Merchant's road was littered with detached limbs, spilled guts and the odd decapitated head here and there.

 _Just seven seconds… this guy isn't human!_ The man thought to himself, failing to prevent the wave of panic from engulfing him.

Sasuke walked over to the man, who scrambled backwards until his back hit a tree trunk. The Uchiha knelt down and almost casually pressed Kusanagi's razor sharp edge against the fool's throat.

"I'm sure he'll try. Now tell me more about this boss of yours." He asked, the Uchiha's eyes flashing dangerously.

* * *

Gou laughed as his latest example struggled uselessly beneath his grip.

"I warned you Yagami. I warned you not to defy me, to just pay the tribute without complaint and ON TIME!" He spat, dragging the old fool along the ground, straight from his home out onto the street, his men having corralled the local populace outside to witness his actions.

The elderly man for his part struggled feebly in an attempt to fight back, frail hands clawing feebly against the cloth of Gou's sleeve. The shinobi for his part merely threw Yagami to the ground with a vicious smile immediately placing his boot on Yagami's throat.

"People won't be afraid of you forever monster! Your reign will end with you drowning in a pool of your own blood!" Yagami managed to choke out, his fingers scrabbling uselessly at the tyrant's shoes trying to free the crushing weight upon his throat.

Gou just nodded his head accommodatingly, increasing the pressure as he did so "Perhaps you're right but I doubt it. One thing is for sure though, you won't be there to see it."

He jabbed his foot down and to the side with a small influx of chakra, crushing Yagami's neck into little more than powder.

Immediately people began screaming, the cacophony only lasted a few moments before his men managed to corner the townsfolk and intimidate them into submission. Gou merely gave them all a winning smile, pacing backwards and forwards before the crowd.

"That gave me little joy but it needed to be done. You people need to understand that there are rules. Without these rules we have anarchy and we're stuck in the bad old days, remember those?"

The people just looked at him like the frightened, stupid sheep that they were. Gou sighed theatrically before motioning one of his men over.

"String him up as a warning to the others. I don't want any more of these idiots trying to resist my rule." He told him tiredly rubbing his eyes.

Peering into the crowd he found his target, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"Rin, come here." He called.

The crowd parted to reveal a small, mousy and suddenly terrified girl dressed in a simple white dress doing her best not to bawl in front of her friends, neighbours and family.

"I don't want to." The girl tried weakly to which Gou merely raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? What did you say _wife_?" He drawled, snapping his fingers and pointing to a spot on the ground between his feet. Slowly Rin shuffled forward, her head bowed and the tears now flowing freely.

The people of the town merely stood around, silent and watchful, helpless against their tyrants' power.

"Get on your knees woman! Or do you want me to get angry again?" He demanded, raising his hand in warning resulting in Rin dropping to her knees with a flinch. Gou smiled and gently caressed the girl's cheek. She was one of his favourite brides.

"Don't touch her you monster!" A man yelled from the crowd, most likely the girl's father and most definitely the wrong thing to say at that moment.

Gou sneered, backhanding Rin across the face causing her to fall to the ground, clutching her face in agony before her husband pulled her back up to her kneeling position by grabbing a fistful of her hair.

"You don't get to tell me what to do sheep! She's my property and I can do with her as I wish!" Gou roared into the crowd. A terrified hush fell over the crowd as they were forced to witness the look on Gou's face.

He faced the townsfolk with a sickening grin and his free hand raised in their direction, palm outward as if he were about to wave to them "It seems you people just don't get who's top dog around here yet. I suppose it's only right that I give you a reminder of that."

Red sparks fizzled around his hand as he gathered and focused his chakra into the points of his hand. It took merely a moment before flames erupted from his fingertips.

"Lessons need to be learned." Slowly he brought his burning hand closer to Rin's face, who no longer bothered to hide her terror, eyes wide and wailing loudly as Gou's hand came ever closer to her cheek, clearly intending to brand her as punishment.

It was at that precise moment that all hell broke loose. Gou was a former Jonin and he had spent months training the men under his command in the basics of shinobi combat. Despite being a veteran ninja even he jumped backwards in shock, immediately assuming a defensive position as his men suddenly dropped like flies, senbon needles lodged in the back of their necks.

The flames in his hand intensified and he withdrew a kunai from the pouch at his side with his now free hand. His eyes darted from side to side, scanning the town square for the assailant. Gou grinned, almost shuddering with excitement at the prospect of impending combat. Only a shinobi could have dispatched his men with such speed and efficiency.

It had been a long time indeed since he had last killed someone who had even a lick of true shinobi training in them. He could almost taste the chakra in the air and such a sensation made him lick his lips eagerly.

"You must be this Gou that your boys just couldn't shut up about."

There.

A raven-haired young man wearing a sand coloured poncho with a surprisingly high collar that seemed to cover all but his lower legs. The man sat atop a horse as black as midnight and Gou could just make out a familiar glint of metal shining through the gaps in the poncho. A shinobi headband resting against the man's hip though at this distance he couldn't determine from which village this stranger defected. The rider approached the square, passing underneath the town archway, the setting sun behind him casting a long shadow that seemed to stretch all the way to the now sobbing civilians.

Gou smirked dangerously at this new arrival. "And who might you be?"

"Just a traveller on the road of life" This response garnered a raised eyebrow from the gang boss.

"I don't take kindly to people who think that they can just waltz into my town and attack my men. Lucky for you I'm feeling nostalgic; it's been a while since I've met a shinobi from back home." Gou grinned dangerously. "I've got use for a man like you. What do you say? Feel like becoming somebody important out here? Nuke-nin should stick together after all".

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously at this offer, his rinnegan glowing softly but remaining hidden by his hair. Instead of answering him straight away he dismounted from Kamui once again grabbing Kusanagi as he did so and securing the blade to his waist.

He gave the horse a gentle slap on the rear. Kamui snorted and retreated at a canter, creating distance between the two ninja.

"It's an interesting offer. Got one of mine though; leave… along with your gang and don't ever come back." Sasuke made the offer stonily, his hands at his side and the tension in his muscles hidden by his poncho.

Gou stared at him incredulously for a moment before bellowing out a deep laugh.  
"I'll admit it kid; you've got some serious balls! Threatening me of all people!? You look like you just made Chunin and you want to take me on? I'm a Jonin of the Hidden Grass, I'd destroy you!" Gou bit out in the midst of his laugh.

"I don't care. Last chance; leave or I'll make you." Sasuke tried warning him one more time. Personally he would have just dealt with him then and there but he was on this journey in the first place because he wanted to change.

 _To try to understand what he was trying to show me all these years._

Sasuke eyes narrowed dangerously, his Sharingan almost activating of its own accord as he took in the corpse of old man, sprawled out carelessly on the ground with his throat unnaturally flat. "You're a disgrace to the name of ninja."

Gou seemed to sober up at that. "Now that sounded like disrespect… I don't tolerate that boy. Such a shame too, I would have liked to have someone on my crew from back home but as I said before; lessons need to be learned."

The air grew still for a single beautiful moment before everything changed in the Lands Unknown forever. For the first time in the history of these lands, shinobi fought shinobi.

Sasuke and Gou blurred towards each other with such speed that to the townsfolk they seemed to simply teleport towards each other. The two ninja exchanged blows with such ferocity that each blow and block seemed to resound like a small thunderclap.

For the first time in history, the air of the Lands Unknown crackled with the very force of the shinobi's chakra, clashing against one another.

To them this wasn't just a duel between to ninja. This was a clash between two gods; Gou, the tyrant who had controlled and terrorised their lives for the past ten years and this stranger from a foreign land.

This shinobi with no name.

* * *

Well there you go guys! That was chapter 2 of Those Who Are Lost. I hope that you enjoyed it and I must warn you that I will be updating at least one chapter of one of my other stories before I continue with this one.

Please let me know what you think and please REVIEW! reviews and inspiration are the lifeblood of fanfictions and I use both to write my chapters.

Also let me know if you spot any mistakes so that I may rectify them immediately.

See you next time with chapter 3: The Girl with Lavender Hair.


	3. The Girl With Indigo Hair

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 3

The Girl with Indigo Hair

Hey there guys, its AraelDranoth here again! I am proud to bring to you the 3rd chapter of Those Who Are Lost and I hope that you find it enjoyable.

Without further ado I present to you chapter 3.

P.S. MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These two great series are the rightful property of Masashi Kishimoto the true Rikudo Sennin.

* * *

Himawari couldn't say many things with any degree of reliable certainty anymore but she could definitely say this; the dream that she was currently experiencing was peculiar to say the least. She had been having this dream repeatedly over the past few days and she still couldn't make full sense of it.

In the dream she found herself sitting at some sort of dining room table, the rest of the room unidentifiable as it was shrouded in darkness and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make anything out in the inky blackness.

In front of her was a small white cake laced with pink frosting. That frosting presented itself on the face of the dessert as well in the form of writing.

 _Happy Birthday Himawari!_

Looking at the words should have filled her with some sort of happiness or excitement but to her bitter surprise all she felt was hurt.

She looked to her left and then to her right. There were two people with her but she couldn't tell anything about them other than one of them was female and that the other one was male, a boy about her age if the sound of his voice was anything to go by.

" _Don't worry Hima, I'm sure there's a good reason why your father's late."_ The woman spoke to her, her voice soothing in the most pleasant of ways. It felt so achingly familiar that she wanted to scream.

It wasn't fair! Why couldn't she remember?!

As if sensing her distress the woman reached out, slender white hands emerging from the black to place themselves over one of her own, squeezing gently. The boy seemed to think differently on the situation.

" _Don't bother keeping your hopes up little sister. Dad won't show, he never does… in the long run we're just not that important to him when stacked against the village."_ His words cut deep because on some level she knew it was true even as she shook her head in denial.

The woman, her mother she was guessing, inhaled sharply but didn't say anything.

 _Happy birthday to me, I guess._

* * *

"-wari."

She blinked confusedly, unsure of her surroundings for a moment before she remembered. She was in Kouda's home, where she had been staying for a little over a year now. Shaking her head slightly she sat up in her bed and proceeded to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Awake now are we?" Kouda laughed lightly moving away from the door and stepping fully into her bedroom.

"What time is it?" She asked sleepily, frowning when she noticed that the man seemed to be dressed in a variety of heavy fur coats with thick pelt linings. In his hands he carried a pile of similar clothing but smaller size, most likely for her.

"It's a little past dawn and we need to get an early start today." He told her simply, depositing the clothing at the foot of her bed. "Boots and gloves are in the cupboard, don't forget them or you're going to lose some digits to the frost."

"Why? What are we doing today?" She asked simply, slowly getting out of bed, gritting her teeth as the cold air made her wounds ache dully.

"Today we go to town and start asking questions. Now go get ready and be downstairs in twenty minutes, I should have breakfast ready by then." With a small smile Kouda left the room closing the door behind him as he went.

Himawari shuffled over to the window, opening the curtains slowly and taking a deep breath in surprise. It must have snowed heavily during the night because for as far as the eye could see the world had turned white. It was so much and so pure that it almost made her wince, her eye aching from trying to take in the majesty of it all. Quickly she turned away lest she made herself go blind and instead made her way to the bathroom in order to freshen up and get ready for the journey that day.

Since she had agreed to begin searching for answers with Kouda's help they had made very little progress. Her condition had improved but her physical therapy had yet to advance to the point where she could be deemed fit for any period of extended travel.

As such the two of them deemed it prudent to restrict their search to the home, asking all those seeking medical aid as well as merchants who stopped by for herbs and other medical supplies whether they knew anything of Himawari's identity or who might know of such a thing.

But now it seemed that Kouda had deemed her physical condition worthy of travel and they were to try and expand their search. Himawari neglected to tell Kouda that she was perfectly content where she was and ignored the twisting feeling in her stomach that came whenever she thought of leaving the old doctor alone if they were to find her family.

It was true that she had grown comfortable here in this place. She didn't want to leave but she had already promised Kouda that they would look for her past and some part of her just couldn't bear to hurt the old man.

Once she was ready she made her way downstairs and joined him for a simple breakfast of toast, eggs and some bacon obtained from merchants from the far west. The two ate in comfortable silence, Himawari content to just enjoy the morning and save her questions for when they were on the road.

* * *

 _Two hours later._

It was cold. Colder than she'd ever thought it would be but Kouda assured her it was only for the portion of the road that they were currently on. The road took them through a long ravine where the wind whistled past sharp rocks and seemed to cut right through her furs and straight to her heart. Kouda and the carthorses seemed not to notice and actually seemed quite relaxed despite the weather conditions.

Shaking her head in a vain attempt to clear the snow from her long hair she then turned her attention to the piece of parchment in her hands.

It was a simple enough thing she supposed. It contained a large pencil sketch of her portrait as she was now and some commonplace text below it indicating that if anyone were aware of the girls' identity then they were to contact Kouda Shimura for a small reward, if the information were to be satisfactorily substantiated. The location of his clinic was provided at the bottom as well as a small map detailing his location.

"You drew my nose too big." She commented dryly.

"Hmm?" Kouda asked having not heard her clearly; his attention focused on the road which had developed patches of ice at particular intervals and which he was doing his best to guide his old horses around so that they wouldn't injure themselves.

"My nose, it's too big in the sketch." She insisted shoving the parchment in front of his nose and tapping the offending sketch with her index finger, emphasizing her point.

"Mine's at least an inch shorter." She informed him primly.

Kouda looked back and forth between her and the road for a moment before letting out a soft snort. "I don't know… kind of looks like I should have added a few inches not taken them away."

Himawari took a moment to absorb this before letting out a soft snort and a small smile. They stayed silent for a while, her mind and gaze fixed on the sky, enjoying the way that the snow fell into a million, obscure and beautiful patterns.

"So where are we headed exactly? You never told me." The words slipped out effortlessly from between her lips and she rolled her head over in his direction, curious to find out.

"That trader that came through yesterday, he told me he does runs deeper into the Hidden Countries, going as far as Sunagakure. He also told me that he remembers seeing shinobi with hair the same colour as yours there." Kouda explained, before reaching into his nearby satchel for a flagon of water to clear his throat.

"So you're taking me to Suna? That's too far!" Himawari exclaimed, looking at the man in disbelief. Kouda merely snorted and finished taking his drink.

"Don't be ridiculous girl! We're going to one of the border towns close to the Land of Wind. I'm not expecting much to come of it but perhaps we'll get a lead or something equally valuable. Besides, I need to stock up on certain herbs that I can only get from the Gust Desert and I'm guessing that the town might be one of the only places I might find such things." By the time he was done talking he found himself thirsty once more and so reached for the flagon again.

"What's the name of this town?" At this point she was asking more from boredom and lethargy brought on by the cold and inactivity than actually curiosity, her attentions returned to the falling snow.

"You look tired. Get some more sleep, we'll only be there in about four or so hours. When you wake up there will be no more snow and instead only sand." Kouda told her in a soothing tone, grinning like a madman when he saw that his words were working. Himawari's eyes drooped lower and lower with each syllable before finally they shut.

* * *

 _Four or so hours later._

"Wake up girl!"

Himawari awoke with a start, eye flitting from side to side looking for any immediate danger. "What's going on?"

Kouda merely pointed ahead and her eye followed.

She gaped. There was no other word for it, that's the only explanation. She gaped.

It was a wall. A titanic wall that stretched hundreds of meters into the sky and across the landscape and which seemed to be made of pure golden sand. At the base of the monstrosity there were a dozens of flickering lights, the lights of the town no doubt just visible in the shadow created by the wall

"Welcome to Dustwall kid. Created by the Third Kazekage during the Shinobi War to protect the Land of Wind's borders from the threats lurking in the Lands Unknown. It is a sight to behold isn't it kid?" Kouda sounded so smug that she wished she could slap the look straight off his face.

But she couldn't deny what the old doctor said. It was indeed breath-taking to see the colossal, constantly shifting sand of the wall held together by the remnant chakra of a now long dead Kage. It was strangely beautiful to watch.

"Let's hope that there are some answers waiting for us over there." She told him quietly. Kouda merely grunted before spurring the horses and the cart forward.

 _Sometime later_

It had been a while since they had arrived at the small town built in the wall's shadow, aptly named Dust Town. Since then Kouda had made it a priority to replenish his various herbs as well as certain spices. These items were rarities up north and so they took the opportunity to grab as many as they could before they returned home.

Once they were done with the necessary trading, they began asking questions around town about Himawari, showing her face and pinning her portraits all throughout the town. For the most part they had little to no luck and so they took the time to sit down at a nearby café for something cool to drink. Kouda had insisted that they both shed their furs before entering town and Himawari was now quite glad for it.

The heat was beyond intense and she was amazed at how quickly the temperature had changed from freezing to boiling.

"Strange." Kouda stated, causing Himawari to raise an eyebrow in question.

"Oh?"

Kouda purposefully made her wait, taking the time to take a long and slow drink from his glass before taking a further moment to cough and clear his throat. Himawari knew that he was doing this on purpose and did her best not to be irritated by it.

She failed miserably and let out an annoyed huff and was rewarded with Kouda's victorious smirk at her impatience.

"You don't seem too upset at our lack of success." Kouda finally informed her.

Himawari for her part pointedly avoided looking the old man in the eye. She tried to think of something to say but nothing seemed right when it crossed her mind so her mouth opened slightly as if she was about to speak.

She probably just looked like an idiot.

"It's alright girl, I understand. You're comfortable with me and I'm probably the only familiar face you know. I don't blame you for being scared." His words were short and to the point, his tone gentle as if he were talking to a frightened animal. Given her state of affairs he was in a way.

This time she did look him in the eyes. She didn't say anything and she got the feeling she didn't have to and that that was okay.

"Let's finish our drinks and head home girl."

And that's exactly what they did.

They remained unaware of the eyes that followed them as they left the town and wall behind them. Himawari remained blissfully ignorant to the fact that their questions had sparked a chain of events that would change the course of two lives forever.

* * *

Yes yes I know, this was a very short chapter and I'm sorry. I had planned to expand into the beginning of Himawari's next chapter but I'm tired and about to start a game of Civ and Total War so I thought I would post it and then the next chapter of One Second in the next week or so and then write sporadically across all my stories.

Anyway enough of my drivel, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that I might finally get a review. (Pretty please?)

See you next time my fellow fanfictioners.

Next time

Chapter 4: The Duel of Myths.


	4. The Shinobi Who Became A Legend

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 4

The Shinobi Who Became a Legend

Hey guys!

Now I'm going to say right off the bat that I myself am not too impressed with the fight scene and that I will update this chapter at some point in the future just to touch it up where it's needed.

But for now I hope that you all enjoy it and I'm proud nonetheless to present to you the next chapter in this hopefully epic story.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are both the rightful property of Kishimoto-sama... and his very scary army of lawyers ;)

Now then enough of my senseless prattling! Onwards to the story!

* * *

They moved quickly, dashing towards each other at such speed that they seemed to blur before the eyes of the common people. When they clashed, Sasuke tilted his head to avoid the uppercut and then smashed his own chakra laced fist into Gou's face trying not to grin at the sound.

Gou played it smart and rolled back with the blow in order to reduce the force of the blow and prevent his nose from being pushed back into his own brain. Sasuke didn't let up and rushed forward in an effort to end this duel before it could escalate and involve innocent people in the crossfire.

Unfortunately the Uchiha wasn't able to make it more than a few steps before he noticed it. The trap Gou set as he was rolling backwards. There scattered across the floor were dozens of small sharp spikes glistening in the daylight despite the dust kicked up by their initial clash.

Makabishi spikes. Nasty little contraption designed and forged in Mizukagakure during the First Shinobi World War to trip up Iwa ninja who just so loved running on the ground.

Skidding to a sharp halt he instead fell to his knees scant inches from the closest spike and gathered up the chakra in his lungs, shaping it and infusing it with just the right stuff before exhaling it all in his opponents' direction.

He admitted that he enjoyed the look of shock on Gou's face even as he leapt desperately to the side in order to avoid the giant fireball searing by him. It was at that moment though that Sasuke realised the full gravity of his action.

As the fireball narrowly missed his intended target, it continued on its course propelled by the power of his breath and smacked straight into one of the village buildings. The heat and kinetic force of the fire was such that it practically vaporised a hole through the front and back of the building before finally dissipating.

The simple wooden structure not only groaned from the loss of so many supports but red hot splinters fell to the ground and ignited the floorboards. It was clear that the wood would catch on fire and there was nothing that he could do about that but left unchecked, the flame could spread to other buildings within the settlement.

 _Damn it!_

The Uchiha's frustration was understandable. He hadn't had to be mindful of his surroundings on the battlefield for a long time. At least in the sense of trying to minimize his destruction or prevent casualties from occurring under his watch. When he challenged Gou and his men he unwontedly assumed responsibility for the safety of the villagers and their homes.

Luckily it seemed that the spirits were on his side this day as several men of the village shouted to the others to prepare and fetch buckets of water and began creating a makeshift cordon to contain the spread of the flames which had just ignited.

 _Guess they're braver than they look. Good to know._

Returning his focus to the duel at hand his senses screamed at him and he obeyed. He tore himself backwards, barely avoiding the kunai that was intended for his throat. Spinning in order to maintain his momentum he reached into his pouch and sent a return volley of shuriken towards his opponent.

 _I need to finish this fight quickly._

"Earth Style: Rock Wall Jutsu!" Gou yelled, centring and moulding his chakra before expelling it into the ground. A large mound of stone rose up, blocking Sasuke's counter-attack with minimal effort.

* * *

Gou decided that he was indeed having a crappy day. The thing was he didn't fully understand why this was happening to him.

He woke up in such a good mood and in the beginning it seemed as though everything was going his way… and then came this stranger to challenge his rule.

Gou was no stranger to shinobi combat. As a Jonin it was something that was almost prerequisite to the rank and he'd taken his fair share of lives in service to the KusoKage, whether they'd be Gennin, Chunnin or Jonin.

But this guy…

This guy was something else entirely. He moved way too fast and if his initial blow had hit full force, then Gou would most likely have been killed. Quickly though he found himself falling back on the fighting techniques of his village, keeping a close eye on his opponent's limbs for any potential attacks and relying on traps to trip up his enemies.

Even so this was a fight that he had expected to finish within seconds; he didn't like the fact that he was dodging attacks desperately to avoid meeting the reaper. Luckily the tools he had on him allowed him some small breathing room and the stranger had already made a mistake.

He had allowed himself to become distracted by something as trivial as setting a building ablaze. Granted he was only unfocused for a few moments but in a shinobi battle such time may as well be an eternity. Gou wasted no time and sent a flurry of kunai at his opponent confident that he had won the day, which is why he found himself slack-jawed when the stranger not only evaded the attacks but returned with one of his own forcing the impromptu warlord to take shelter with one of his strongest defensive techniques.

Snapping himself out of his reverie he listened intently, trying to determine his enemy's next move on sound alone. Unfortunately there was nothing save for this incessant noise.

 _Like birds chirping or perhaps a kind of high pitched crackle? Wait, crackling…_

Gou's eyes widened as he figured it out. The stranger was using some sort of lightning technique and he was getting closer if the shrieking sound was anything to go by.

Hurriedly the Kuso-nin performed a flurry of handsigns before finishing with a bellow: "Fire Style: Searing Stream Jutsu!"

And to the disgust of the villagers, the man began to belch a jet of flame directly onto the earth mound, the flames turning the rock red and licking their way around to cover the whole thing.

 _Let's see him try to get past that!_

Gou frowned as he heard the sound of something akin to a mix of rock both melting and crumbling. Immediately afterwards, his eyes widened in shock as he witnessed something impossible. He only saw it for a split-second but the sight of it made his jaw drop. A hand wreathed in lightning shot through the centre of his earthly defence before the rest of the man appeared. The air around him seemed to shimmer with some kind of invisible force as red hot chunks of earth fell off to the side of whatever magical force protected this…monster.

 _It's unnatural._

That was the last conscious thought he had to himself before everything went to hell. The stranger became little more than a black and blue blur for one split second before Gou's day officially went to shit.

* * *

Sasuke felt the old familiar twinge of satisfaction as he sunk his Chidori straight through his opponents' left shoulder and quietly savoured the man's resulting roar of agony. Desperately Gou's fingers scrabbled at his wrist trying to pull the offending arm from his wound.

Though none of their spectators knew it that was the moment when Gou lost the battle and all because of a simple unknowing and innocent mistake. Through the haze of pain and rage, Gou glanced directly into the eyes of his enemy for the first time since their duel began.

Who could blame him? The Snake Dance, his taijutsu style, was an evasive fighting technique that focused on reacting to the muscle movements within opponents' limbs. Heads were parts of the body that almost never figured into physical confrontations with other shinobi.

And at that moment the signature fighting style of the Hidden Grass was rendered useless given the hand in his shoulder.

All he saw was a flash of red before his vision turned dark…

* * *

Shaking his head clear Gou refocused, using his free hand to reach for another kunai from his side pouch. The stranger's eyes widened drastically, black pupils enlarging in terror and the man began reaching for his own kunai in order to defend himself but it was clear that he far too slow. Gou grinned viciously before stabbing the fool into his side, straight through the ribcage and into the soft organs beyond effectively shanking him.

"Pathetic fool! I'll admit that you got me good but it's nothing I can't come back from. You on the other hand…"

Feeling the stranger begin to slack in the awkward embrace they found themselves in and in an oddly strange manner Gou gently laid him down on the ground, the man's mouth opening up to suck in deep gasps of air.

Gou merely nodded as if this were all part of the normal course of events. That was until something strange started happening. The stranger's mouth opened wider than should have been humanly possible and contained nothing but a deep…blackness.

The Nuke-nin frowned deeply. This was all wrong, something was incredibly wrong with all of this. The gaping void only grew as the stranger's mouth just kept on opening wider and wider and Gou couldn't help but to peer into the darkness in morbid fascination.

He suddenly felt so tired and everything around him looked as though it were covered in a thick fog, as though he were standing in a dream.

This was genjutsu for sure but not like any that he had experienced before. Feeling lethargy seeping into his bones, Gou wearily placed his hands together and gathered his chakra; expelling it a moment later into a big bang hoping that such action would dispel the illusion.

Unfortunately nothing changed around him so with a sigh he repeated the act of gathering up his chakra. The body of the stranger in front of him began to writhe and shake as something forced its way out from the chasm of his mouth.

It was a black raven with a midnight coat of feathers and a beak so sharp it almost gleamed with the promise of blood. Gou felt the cold trickle of fear flow down his spine as he gazed into the bird's eyes.

Blood red orbs decorated with a black ring and three spinning tomoe, almost mesmerizing in their cycle.

It was impossible.

 _That clan died out long ago!_

Without warning the genjutsu fell apart, Gou's chakra accidentally expelled due to the shock even as the raven took flight and dived towards him, beak open and intent on feasting on one of his eyes.

He woke up to reality with a start and immediately wished that he hadn't.

* * *

Sasuke let out a small sigh even as he removed his hand from the man's shoulder, the lightning disintegrating the blood from off of his hand before dying away entirely. A strange silence fell over the entire town, save for those dealing with the last remnants of the fire that he was responsible for.

He was sure that they were confused as to what happened. Gou merely stood there, a dazed look in his eyes and his mouth opening and closing at irregular intervals as if he were having a wordless conversation with someone.

Sasuke walked around the defenceless man, drawing a kunai with one hand and raising his hand in a gesture of peace to the frightened townsfolk.

"It's alright he won't be able to hurt you anymore I promise." Even as he said this Sasuke turned and slashed Gou's leg tendons, the warlord falling to the ground in silence his legs lost to him now. Returning his attention to the mortified crowd his eyes began searching, scanning the faces for his target.

With a slight narrowing of his eyes he moved forward having found what he was looking for. The crowd quietly parted for him allowing the Uchiha to reach her; the young girl who Gou had claimed to be his bride. She was propped up against the side of one of the market stalls that were scattered throughout the square. A middle-aged man and woman kneeling at her side their arms wrapped around her thin frame as it shook with the force of her sobs.

Despite her emotional state she found herself looking up as Sasuke's shadow fell over her.

"What are you going to do now?" She asked chokingly, her tears continuing to fall onto the ground as she did so.

The grip he held on the blades' handle tightened considerably as he took in her state and the blue-black bruises all over her bare flesh. Clearly Gou wasn't a gentle husband to his brides.

"Get up." He told her quietly. Instead of obeying him, the girl just looked listlessly into his eyes, seeing but not seeing him. Her parents on the other glared weakly at him, too tired and too scared to take a stand against him.

"I'm not going to say it again girl. Get up!" Sasuke growled, showing them just the barest hint of teeth as he did so.

Shakily the girl, Rin, got to her feet, gently shrugging her folks' hands off as she did so. Slowly she shuffled forward to stand in front of the ninja, meekly peeking up at him from beneath her hair.

Sasuke let out a small snort before offering her the handle of the kunai, pressing it gently into her palm as a further indicator that she should take the blade.

Rin's eyes widened almost comically and she looked between him and the blade a dozen or so times.

 _These people… they're little more than scared rabbits. That needs to change._

Wordlessly Sasuke stood aside allowing the girl a view of her… husband lying prostrate on the ground. Lifting his arm he pointed at the hamstrung man and spoke two simple words that changed everything.

"Kill him."

The girl gaped at him, her eyes darting backwards and forwards as though looking for an escape.

 _Perhaps she thinks it's another trap._

Reaching into his tool bag he retrieved another brace of kunai and passed them out to several of the closest villagers, including the bride's father.

The man, like his daughter looked between him and the blade but with suspicion in his eyes.

"Why?" The man asked.

Sasuke looked at his fallen foe silently; as though pondering what kind of answer he should give.

"Because monsters can't kill monsters, only human beings can." He murmured more to himself than to the father.

Shaking his head, Sasuke focused back on the man who asked the question. He spoke loudly for all the civilians to hear.  
"You've lived in fear of him for far too long. The only way I can help give you your lives back is to allow you to do it yourselves. If I kill him then you'll live in fear of the memory of him but take his life yourselves and his spirit will dwell in fear at the memories of yours!"

He received no reply for but one moment before it seemed his words took effect. The girl screamed, rushing forward with her blade raised high only to sink it straight into Gou's gut.

* * *

Gou awoke to the feeling of blood filling his lungs and an intense white-hot agony radiating from his stomach. Opening his eyes he was surprised to see his wife perched on top of him, sobbing even as she kept stabbing her blade into his stomach.

"How dare you, you bitch!? After all I've done for you!? When I'm done I'll be drinking wine from your skull!" He roared, finishing his tirade with a great heaving and bloody cough, slapping Rin hard across the cheek to get her off of him.

Apparently this didn't seem to be the most strategic option as while he did succeed in removing his attacker, he not only found that he couldn't use his legs but his vision flashed white and then red as something hard struck him across his brow. Dully he recognised the red flash as blood seeping into his eyes from the large gash that had just appeared on his brow.

Wiping away the blood he glared outwards into the crowd looking for his latest attacker.

* * *

It was that last blow Gou struck against his latest bride that sealed his fate. The people were done being scared and while it only started with a thrown rock it turned into something much more. The town rose up and surged forwards, rocks and fists and kunai readied to dole out their own bloody retribution against the monster that had terrorised them for so long.

"What are you maggots doing?! Stay back! Stay away from me!" The rest was drowned out by the rage of the mob and his cries turned into gurgled screams as the people turned their tyrant into an indistinguishable bloody mess.

None of them noticed as the last Uchiha quietly made his way to his horse and then rode out of town continuing on his journey ever deeper into the Lands Unknown.

That was not to say that he was just forgotten and the story of what had happened spread to all those who came to the town, a story so fantastical that it became a legend, one which spread like wildfire from town to town.

The Legend of the Wandering Ninja.

* * *

My oh my what a scene!

Poor poor Gou!

...

Oh well ;)

Hope you guys enjoyed and please leave a review to let me know what you think. Pretty please with cherries on top?

Good news is that the chapter after next will be when our two lovely protagonists meet!

Until next time with

Those Who Are Lost Chapter 5:

The Girl Who Lost Everything.


	5. The Girl Who Lost Everything

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 5

The Girl Who Lost Everything

* * *

Well here it is guys! The next chapter of Those Who Are Lost.

Sorry it took so long but as you can see it is a longer chapter. I was originally going to split it across two chapters but I thought it flowed much better as one and was important for plot progression purposes.

Hope you enjoy and next chapter our two mains are going to meet.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden nor any of its sequels or spinoffs. These are all the rightful intellectual property of Masashi Kishimoto, the true Sage of the Six Paths.

Now then enough of my senseless prattle! On to the story!

* * *

Something had changed in the past few days. Himawari found she couldn't quite put a name to the feeling only that it made her hackles raise in anticipation. If she were forced to describe it she would say that it felt as though there was a charge to the air, as if the air itself were crackling with energy, bubbling with excitement.

Himawari was sure that she had felt this… thing before but no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't remember what it all truly meant. The only thing she did know was that she was sure that something terrible was about to happen and she didn't know how to stop it or if she even could.

Despite this feeling which she only seemed to be aware of if Kouda's cheery demeanour was anything to go by, she carried on as if nothing were amiss for his sake. Himawari was sure that she didn't want the old man to add her paranoia to her symptoms of amnesia.

Ever since they had returned to the clinic from Dustwall a week ago he had been treating her differently. Himawari had grown tired of the strange looks and confronted him about the situation on the second day of their return.

The man merely gave a nervous laugh, rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and then told her to look in the mirror.

What she saw not only horrified her but also changed the way that she saw herself as well. Her iris had changed from her natural sky-blue colour to one of pale lavender.

"You didn't notice it?" Kouda asked her, his tone tinged with slight concern. Obviously he had thought that she had been aware of such situation. She shook her head, too transfixed with her eye's transformation to reply.

"Well then I guess that settles it girl. You're a shinobi brat and that's a kekkei genkei… Fire Country would be my guess; those bastards love their eye jutsu so much." He told her, injecting some levity into his voice.

Himawari only scowled at him in return for a brief moment before once again facing her own reflection.

"Why is it like this?" She asked quietly losing herself in the pool of lavender.

From her peripheral vision she could just make out Kouda scratching his chin in thought.  
"My guess? Well since nothing horrible has happened yet like the house catching on fire or me being left a drooling mess on the floor from an accidental genjutsu I'd say that right now you're not using it but rather it's a cosmetic change due to stress or some other change in your emotional environment."

Himawari turned away from the mirror, looking at Kouda as if he just started speaking in tongues. Kouda sighed and muttered to himself about uneducated children in today's world.

"Calm down and centre your breathing." He instructed gruffly, crossing his arms and watching over her to ensure she did as he told her.

It took a few tries but eventually after following a few more of the old man's directions the lavender pupil faded and turned back into blue.

"I did it!" She whooped, smacking her fist into her palm in accomplishment.

"Well done girl, now clean yourself up and come help me make breakfast. " With that Kouda left the room and the girl alone with her thoughts as she continued to gaze into the mirror in wonderment.

She wasn't sure but she swore that she heard him mutter softly to himself about; 'stupid shinobi brats'.

* * *

 _ **The next day**_

It was cold. Kouda told her that what they were currently experiencing was apparently the coldest winter to hit the frontier in over thirty years. Even here from her seated position in front of the fireplace she could feel the chill seeping into her bones and scooted as close to the flames as was reasonably sensible. It had been two weeks since she had discovered her eye trick and she had spent that time in front of the mirror trying to master her power.

So far her success had provided a modicum of success. She had, to a certain degree, learned to prevent her pupils from activating the phenomenon whenever she found herself stressed or startled.

She shivered unexpectedly and craned her neck to find the source of the sudden cold breeze that had swept through the room. She found her answer at the sound of the front door opening and closing and the softly muttered curses of an old man.

It seemed that Kouda had returned from his trip to the village and didn't appreciate the current weather conditions any more than she did.

"I'm back" He called out to which she responded with a simple 'Hm'.  
"I have some news" He told her, walking into the room and settling himself into a comfortable position in his favourite armchair in front of the fireplace.

"I take it that it has something to do with the letter in your hand?" She asked after turning her head to look at the object clutched in his hand.

"I told a friend of mine about you. He lives on the border of Fire Country and he seemed quite surprised when I told him about your eyes." He told her, leaning his head back and closing his eyes, no doubt tired from his journey through the snow.

At this, Himawari turned to face him, her attention keenly focused on him now.  
"What did he say? Does he know who I am?" She struggled to keep the excitement from leaking into her voice.

"No but he knows where you _might_ be from." He told her with a tired chuckle. Taking a deep breath he stretched his feet out and then let out a contented sigh, obviously enjoying the huff of impatience from Himawari as he purposefully delayed telling her what he knew.

"Your eyes are apparently similar to a Kekkei-Genkei originating in Fire Country known as the Byakugan. It seems girl that you might come from the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure just as I suspected."

"Konohagakure?" The name she whispered to herself felt familiar somehow, the word buzzing at the back of her brain like a bee that had found itself trapped inside her skull. The more she said it to herself the more her head began to ache, as if some memory were trying to claw its way out to the forefront of her mind.

"The weather's getting worse. Far worse than I thought it would." Kouda muttered, more to himself than her. Himawari shook her head to clear it and sent him a small smile.  
"Good thing we stocked up then just in case this happened."

Kouda merely grunted softly before falling into a gentle slumber. One last sentence managed to slip through his lips before his snores filled the room.

"We'll go see him once the weather clears."

* * *

 _ **The night after.**_

The two of them found themselves in front of that fireplace yet again. Looking outside, Himawari could see nothing except for black and white. The blizzard had indeed gotten a lot worse and it seemed that everything was covered in snow and ice now.

But she found herself feeling uneasy this night.

 _What is this feeling? Like someone poured expired milk into my belly…_

Whatever it was that was causing this she knew two things for certain; that she didn't like the feeling at all and that something bad was coming.

"Are you alright Hima? You seem unusually tense tonight." Kouda actually seemed concerned instead of amused that time.

She opened her mouth to reply but was cut off. Both of them sat up from their respective seats to look at each other in bewilderment. That was the sound of someone banging on the front door. For a few moments they looked between themselves and the hallway which led to the front door.

"I think you've got patients." She told him gently, hoping to prompt him into getting up and answering the door. Clearly she was more than content to let him answer and remain warm and comfy by the fire.

Kouda frowned at her.  
"It's not possible girl. We're a ways from town and there's a snowstorm outside; the roads are all blocked. The only people who could reach us right now would be the mad, the desperate or…"

Himawari without realizing it began to tap her forefingers together in agitation. That uneasy feeling only grew and she wanted to tell Kouda not to answer it but she couldn't figure out why.

"Or what?" She asked nervously.

"Get in the crawlspace." Kouda ordered, getting up and making his way to the edge of the room. It was clear from his now strained voice that the matter was not up for debate.

Himawari hesitated for but a moment before she nodded minutely and got to her feet. Hurrying over to the wall opposite the fireplace she moved aside the single chair propped up against it and started feeling along the wood.

"It's to your left, six inches from your thumb." The old man informed her, narrowing his eyes as the frequency of the knocking increased, their guests obviously becoming more and more impatient with them.

Himawari mumbled a quiet thanks to Kouda, cursing herself as she was restricted to only half a field of vision. Her fingers brushed the hidden latch and with a small 'click' the crawlspace door opened and she made her way inside. Turning around she reached out and grabbed the chair's legs, dragging it back to its original position before closing the crawlspace door and, without any shame, peered through the small slats hidden between the wooden planks.

This was the first time she had been in here and when she asked the old man why he would have such a place he would merely shrug and reply that it had come with the house. Himawari just tried not to think about the spiders and other insects that might have made the hiding spot their home.

Kouda let out a small sigh before making his way to the front door.

Taking a quick peek through the spyhole the elder cursed.

 _Can't make out a thing!_

All he could tell was that there were two of them, cloaked and wearing sedge hats to better protect themselves against the weather. One of the figures was of average size but the other was enormous, a real behemoth of a man.

Sucking in a deep breath he opened the door.

"Yes? Can I help you travellers?" He kept his voice even and plain so he supposed that was something at least.

He felt the pool of dread in his stomach grow when he took in their appearance. The giant was as he suspected, a man who looked at Kouda with a strange glint in his beady black eyes. With every breath that he released into the cold air it seemed to Kouda that a steam vent was blowing in his direction.

The other was to his slight surprise, a woman. He could barely make out any personal details as she kept the collar of her cloak high so as to cover most of her features and in the end all he was able to make out were venom green pupils and a strand of similarly coloured hair that had fallen in front of her face.

What caused him such dread was the ninja headband wrapped around the big one's right bicep. Upon the protector was the strangest symbol he had ever seen, one that certainly didn't belong to one of the Five Great Hidden Villages.

 _They're definitely ninja._

"Are you Kouda-san? Some of the townsfolk nearby told us you were a doctor?" The woman asked him, something about her voice sending a chill down his spine and all the way to his toes.

"I'm probably the closest thing to a doctor in these parts I suppose." To this, the woman nodded slightly, her eyes crinkling as though she found such confirmation to be pleasing.

"Wonderful! My name is Sae and my companion here goes by Jinbo." Her introduction was short and her tone was almost sickeningly sweet. Jinbo the Giant growled when his name was given as if in warning to Sae.

A long silence fell between them as both parties looked at each other.

"May we come inside Kouda-san? As I'm sure you can see, the weather has turned dangerous."

After a long hesitation, Kouda stepped back and to the side, allowing the two to enter.

Himawari couldn't help but to press herself against the wall as much as possible when she saw three pairs of boots step into the room.

One of them was massive while the other one seemed to be quite… dainty.

"Can I offer you some tea to warm yourselves from the cold?" Kouda bit out, his adherence to traditions slightly winning out over his equal distrust and dislike of the duo.

The kunoichi's eyes crinkled slightly as if she were sending him a smile before shaking her head minutely.

"No thank you Kouda-san, we won't be staying long enough for tea. In all honesty we've come here for one thing and one thing only. If you would be kind enough to aid us then we will be on our way and all will be well, Kouda-san." The woman's voice was simultaneously sweet and dangerous.

Kouda felt as though his blood had frozen but despite that he soldiered on, licking his lips and forcing his tongue to make the words. "I'm afraid I don't understand… did you not come to me looking for shelter?"

He barely had time to let loose a gasp before large, strong hands placed themselves on his shoulders and pushed, forcing Kouda to seat himself in a nearby chair with a crash. Jinbo slowly removed his grip when it became clear that the old man wasn't going to struggle.

Himawari just sat there with her hands clasped over her mouth, afraid that her shallow breathing would be enough to give her position away and terrified of what she was witnessing.

She swore that every shift in movement she made, every muscle of hers that twitched might give her hiding spot away. Even the rapid beating of her heart sounded like crashing waves to her own ears.

The woman, Sae, walked around the chair and leaned forward against the back of it so that she was looking directly into Kouda's eyes.

"We and several of our… comrades have come to these lands searching for a particular someone." Sae told him, reaching out to caress locks of the man's hair.

"Who're you looking for all the way out here beyond the borders?" To his credit, Kouda kept his voice as strong as he could and managed to hide his surprise and worry.

"A young girl, coming all the way from Fire Country if you can believe it." Sae kept her tone light as if they were having a conversation about the weather.

"You don't say… What does that have to do with me though?" Kouda asked tightly, trying not to put any strain on his voice and give anything away.

 _I'm a fool! I never should've opened the door!_

Sae's venom-coloured eyes narrowed into slits, obviously catching onto the man's nervousness.

"People talk Kouda-san. Merchants do so love their gossip and talk more than most and we have people everywhere, listening in for anything that might be of interest to… us and our allies." Seeing that she had hit some sort of pressure point, the woman pressed on with an unnatural eagerness.

"We know you have the girl Kouda-san. Tell us where she is and let us take her away and we will depart, leaving you with only our deepest gratitude."

"You're wrong, there is no girl."

"You're lying to me Kouda-san." Sae told him sweetly before moving on from playing with his hair to grasping his chin firmly.

"Where. Is. The. Girl?" Something in her voice turned dark but Kouda remained resolute despite knowing his deceptions were seen through.

"You'll never get her! She's strong in heart and in spirit! More so than you petty mercenaries! You-!" His voice cut off with a pained gasp.

"I think we'll manage just fine. Thank you for your hospitality Kouda-san." Sae finished for him, removing her kunai from his chest with a quick pull, wiping the blood off the blade with Kouda's shirt.

"Can I eat him?" Jinbo grumbled deeply accompanied by a sound eerily similar to teeth grinding against each other.

"Not until we've searched this place top-to-bottom Jinbo-san. We must find the girl or Master will be displeased with-". Both shinobi fell silent as a piercing howl filled the air. Moving quickly, Sae peered through the window and out into the storm before sighing softly.

"It seems the mutt and his squad have caught up with us again Jinbo-san… torch the place and then join me outside would you?" Sae ordered.

"My pleasure Mistress."

Reaching into the fireplace, Jinbo retrieved a single log and, seemingly unaffected by the heat or the flames, dropped it onto the floor. Turning to Kouda's form still sitting in the chair, Jinbo snorted planting a solid kick into the old man's stomach causing Kouda to fall out of the chair and onto the floor.

"I'll chew on your charred bones when all is done old man. It'd be pointless to waste the food after all." And with that, the monster left.

* * *

Finally allowing herself to make noise, Himawari couldn't even begin to stop her wailing, scrambling out of the crawlspace, smothering the burning log and then hurrying over to her fallen friend.

"Kouda! Come on old man, wake up!" Himawari screamed, rolling him over onto his back and placing her hands over his wound trying and failing to stop the blood from pouring out.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Again and again she screamed but to no effect. Kouda's face had already begun to lose its colour, turning pale as the blood spread across her hands and the floor beneath them.

 _It's not fair… It's not fair, it's not fair! You shouldn't have to die like this because of me!_

"Please! Please don't leave me alone old man… I don't want to be alone again." She begged reaching out with one hand and placing it on his cheek.

"-wari…" The words came out as little more than a broken whisper. She didn't care though and gasped as tired old eyes focused on her own.

Eyes of glowing lavender.

"Kouda?" She whispered back. She wasn't relieved she couldn't be, her old man was dying and there was nothing she could do to save him.

 _It's all my fault._

Reaching up with shaking arms, he cradled her face.

"Y-y-you h-have t-to run… M-m-make it to the t-temple… S-s-sora will… get you home." His words were broken just like him and blood began to trickle down from the side of his mouth.

"I am home; you are my home old man…" Himawari told him, shaking her head furiously in denial.

"No… no I-I'm not girl." He told her this with a sad smile, placing his finger against her lips to silence her, letting Himawari know that he had more to say.

"I failed my family already… I won't let you fail yours before you've even found them." With that his hand fell away. Slowly reaching into his pocket he retrieved something. Reaching around her neck he fiddled with the clasp of something before finally clicking it into place.

"Take this… keep it close… it was my daughters'. It's the only memento I have of hers I-" Looking down, Himawari noticed the silver chain necklace with a small silver heart as its centrepiece. A locket of some kind.

 _Why me?_

"Stop it old man! Y-y-you're going to be fine! It's just a scratch, you'll heal and one day give it back to your daughter yourself!" Even as she said it she knew she was just trying to comfort him.

"You're sweet for saying so my dear but… this is it for me. I've lost too much blood and I'm too old to recover. I can't move and you can't carry me and those shinobi are just outside." Taking a deep shuddering breath he continued.

"If you need to… sell it. It's not worth much but if it'll get you home then don't hesitate, no matter what." Himawari could do nothing but choke in response and so instead settled for a tearful nod.

"R-r-run now girl… run and don't- don't look back."

"D-don't cry Himawari… just keep on living." With those last words, Kouda closed his eyes for the last time.

Himawari nodded fiercely no longer able to see much of anything through the river of tears that now blurred her vision. Shakily she got to her feet and stumbled towards the door determined not to look back at the body of her friend.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath she knelt down to peer through the keyhole, trying her best to get some sense as to what waited for her out there. Unfortunately the young girl wasn't able to make out much in the weather other than distinctly dark shapes.

She recognized the two who had murdered Kouda but opposite them were several other shadowy figures including some kind of beast like a wolf or a really big dog.

Listening closely she found herself just able to make out what they were saying over the sound of the wind and falling snow.

"Did you really think you could escape us bitch?" One of the unknown figures growled. The woman, Sae merely smirked in return.

"Kiba Inuzuka-san, you are proving to be a constant thorn in my side."

"Cut the crap Sae you're going down this time! Now where's the girl?!"

"Oh my Kiba-kun, you're so forward today! No interest in a little light flirting this time?" The woman raised her hand in front of where her mouth would be, as if she found their banter to be very amusing.

"With you?! Don't disgust me, now where is she?!" Clearly the Inuzuka felt very differently.

"I have no idea." She told him lightly. Beside her Jinbo started to growl deeply, reaching into his cloak and withdrawing a surprisingly large Tetsubo war club, smashing the tip of the weapon into the snowy sheet next to him. Upon closer inspection, Himawari could just make out what looked like several fallen bodies surrounding the monster.

"Can I eat _him_?" Jinbo rumbled out, his grip on his tetsubo tightening in anticipation.

"I suppose so Jinbo-san. Such a shame too, he was so handsome."

It was at that moment that the very Gods themselves decided to scorn the young eavesdropper in favour of misfortune. Himawari leaned too heavily against the door in an effort to hear what was going on outside and forgot to check the door.

If she had then Himawari might've noticed that when the murderers made their exit they did not pay mind to closing the door properly behind them as the left.

With a yelp, Himawari tumbled through the entranceway face first into the snow.

It seemed as though the whole world fell silent for one single moment. The wind died down and even the falling snow made no sound. Apparently though the Gods refused her respite and all too soon the moment passed.

"Himawari?" The dog man whispered, his voice seeming to carry through the silence. Sae for her part recomposed herself from the surprise of it all and nodded towards Jinbo.

"I guess today isn't a complete failure Jinbo-san. Get the girl. Now and try not to hurt her too seriously." The shinobi, Kiba obviously didn't appreciate that and rushed forward to intercept the giant only to find his path blocked by Sae's lithe form. In response the other shinobi backing him up raced forward in order to support his offensive.

"Your fight's with me Kiba-kun or have you forgotten? You want the girl then you'll have to get past me first." She told him, her eyes crinkling to indicate the grin she bore beneath her high collar.

Kiba gritted his teeth looking between his current opponent and that of the monster slowly bearing down on the still dazed girl. Cursing under his breath he dashed forwards and locked kunai with his female opponent.

"Akamaru! Get her out of here!" He yelled back before sidestepping left in order to avoid Sae's second kunai from shanking his side.

Shaking her head in order to clear it, Himawari couldn't help but to let out a frightened squeak at the large fingertips inches away from closing around her throat. Luck seemed to be on her side though as the hand retracted with the sound of a snarl and a roar of pain.

Dazedly Himawari was able to make out a large white dog of some kind was latched onto Jinbo's arm and was refusing to let go despite the giant's vigorous attempts to shake the mongrel. Deciding not to waste his opportunity the girl got to her feet and made a break for the forest, desperate not only to get away but to get away from the madness of this night.

She could faintly hear the one called Kiba yell for her to come back; that he was a friend but the voice inside her head told her that she couldn't be sure, couldn't take that chance. After all, Kouda did and the old man paid for it with his life.

So Himawari kept on running. She kept going until her chest burned and her legs felt so sore that she thought if she were to keep going she'd leave them behind her.

* * *

 _ **Sometime later**_

She couldn't be sure but it felt like she had been running for perhaps maybe an hour. Falling to her knees she took deep, stinging gasps of air trying to regain her strength.

She had to keep moving. Shinobi were inhuman and would have no problem catching up to her or following her trail. She had to keep moving or she'd think about Kou-

Himawari snapped her head up before shaking it side to side in a savage fashion.

 _Thinking about him won't do me any good now. I have to keep moving or I'll freeze to death out here._

"So here you are. You're mine now bitch!"

She turned as fast as her weak and exhausted body would allow but before she knew what was going on she was found herself laid out flat on her back with the monster, Jinbo straddling her small, frail form.

His form was grotesque. The ninja dog had done a good job and it looked as though half of the man's face and arm had been clawed, gouged and bitten. For a brief moment in the moonlight, Himawari was sure that she could see parts of the man's skull showing through the draping flesh. Despite that, his injuries did not seem to slow him down.

This time his hands found her throat, wrapping around it tight like a steel vice. Desperately she started beating at him with her fists but that Jinbo merely let out a throaty laugh at her efforts.

"That's it Hyuuga! I love it when they struggle!" He told her, his grip tightening.

 _I don't want to die! I don't want this beast to eat me!_

This was bad. Her vision was darkening and her lungs felt like they were about to burst from the lack of oxygen. Flailing underneath him in an attempt to escape but with little success, Himawari turned to her last chance.

Her hands went from beating uselessly against the man's side to scrabbling around, looking for anything that might help her.

That was when she found it; just behind the giant, by the small of his back and underneath his robes was a handle for some kind of weapon.

For one split-second she hesitated, wondering about the consequences of what she knew she had to do. Her dilemma resolved itself instantly when Kouda's face and dying words flitted across her mind's eye.

 _I am not going to die here!_

Quicker than she thought possible she pulled the dagger from its sheath and slammed it upwards, burying it up to the hilt underneath Jinbo's chin, causing a torrent of blood to spray out and cover her. Almost immediately the man rolled off of her and for one moment tried to remove the blade before his eyes rolled up in his head and he stopped moving for the last time.

The giant was dead, the blade having penetrated through the base of his chin and upwards into his brain killing him almost instantly.

For the longest time Himawari stood there, staring at the corpse of the man she had just killed.  
 _What did I…_

Dully she looked at the man's armband and the strange symbol engraved upon the metal.

A single musical note stared dully back at her.

When she finally understood what had happened, the enormity of the act that she had committed, she promptly threw up.

What was wrong with her? Every time she looked at the body she couldn't help but to vomit or start sobbing.

She kept on trying but the tears just wouldn't stop. It was only when she heard a howl in the distance that she managed to pull herself together long enough to get to her feet and start shuffling forward away from the person she had just murdered.

 _I have to keep on running… I have to keep living._

And so she ran. She ran into foreign lands, hunted by forces unknown and without anything to call hers. Not a past, home, friends or family nor a single thing to her name save for a locket that wasn't even hers.

No longer was she the girl without a past. Now she was just a girl who had lost everything.

 _Kouda… I miss you._

* * *

Well there you guys go!

Hope that you enjoyed it and I hope that I might get some reviews. I cannot stress enough how important they are to Fanfiction writers as a source of motivation even if they're good or bad reviews.

See you next time on Those Who Are Lost with the next chapter.

Chapter 6: The Shinobi and the Girl.


	6. The Shinobi And The Girl

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 6

The Shinobi and the Girl

* * *

Hello there my fellow Fanfictioners! It's me again! ;)

I present to you the next chapter of Those Who Are Lost and I am hoping that you guys read this preamble just so I can clear some things up.

This story is set after the end of Naruto Shippuden when Sasuke is a wandering shinobi. The events of the Last have happened but this is set before the events of Boruto.

Kouda served in the 4th Great Ninja War and after that he moved to the Lands Unknown and lived in semi-isolation. He wasn't aware of the current Kage and it's not unreasonable to assume that, as a civilan doctor for Iwa, he wouldn't know too much about the Hyuuga or if he would even know of the Byakugan.

Sarada is alive but whether Sasuke is aware of her I am leaving as a surprise and as Sasuke is a wanderer it's plausible that he doesn't know that Himawari is Naruto's daughter.

I hope that this clears up some confusion.

Now then, enough of my prattling so on to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are both the rightful property of the God of Shinobi, Masashi Kishimoto and his army of ninja lawyers.

* * *

Sae wasn't quite sure what she expected when she caught up to Jinbo but the body of her compatriot wouldn't have been her first guess. Kneeling down beside Jinbo's corpse she examined it briefly before letting out a small huff and slapping the dead fool's cheek. The sound of several footsteps behind caused her to exhale slowly in order to avoid whipping out her blade.

"Sae. We've all arrived and just in time to witness your failure it seems." The words were cold, like a steel blade striking ice.

"Toyohisa-san, it's always a… pleasure to be in your company." Sae couldn't keep from drawling.

"I always knew that the fatso was an idiot. To be killed by a little girl, it's disgusting." Toyohisa spat, as if the bile were in his throat at that very moment.

Getting to her feet the kunoichi turned to face the man. Toyohisa was a tall individual with a mane of shaggy black hair and eyes that seemed to glow a dull crimson. There were many who would think that the man was an Uchiha though she knew that that was hardly the case. Toyohisa's unique eye colour was the product of one of Lord Orochimaru's experiments; one to recreate the Sharingan. Unfortunately the experiment was a complete failure and Toyohisa's eyes were the only result of numerous attempts and many… unfortunate failures.

That didn't stop the man from taking advantage of people's ignorance and he bolstered his visage by donning blood-red armour, making him seem as if he could be a young Madara. He had developed a frightening reputation over the years; the Sword of Oto they called him.

"See something you like Sae?" The man growled out, his eyes narrowing in dark amusement.

"Why are you here Toyohisa-san? Did the Master send you to take command of my quest?" Sae asked with a hint of warning laced into her voice. Instead of feeling threatened as she had hoped the man merely chuckled. The cloaked figures behind him whispering amongst themselves, lost in their own discussions.

"You can relax Sae. I'm not here to steal your glory but rather to help you attain it." Sae couldn't help but feel that wasn't the whole truth in spite of his words.

"Why exactly would I need your help or the help of the rest of the Twelve? The Master knows-" Sae began only to be cut off as Toyohisa held up his hand to silence her. As much as she wanted to Sae knew well enough to hold her tongue.

She and Jinbo may have been members of the infamous Twelve but even she ranked just below Toyohisa, he was the Master's sword after all.

"You're taking too long. You already screwed up the first attempt and expended a great many men and resources to separate the child from her mother and father and you still have nothing to show for it. Frankly I'm surprised the Master didn't kill you immediately when we thought that the girl was dead." Toyohisa drawled, seeming far too amused by what he said for her taste.

Suddenly his expression shifted from one of amusement to one of seriousness.

"The deadline is fast approaching. The ritual site has already been constructed and the stars are aligning accordingly. All we need now is the little bitch and then we can head home with our mission complete." Toyohisa told her.

Beneath her high collar, Sae grimaced. It was all true after all, even she did not want to admit it. She had failed and time was running out. Toyohisa sent her a small smirk before gesturing towards the people behind him.

"As I said though, this is your show. The Twelve Notes of Oto are yours to command… well now there are eleven but you get the idea." He assured her despite gingerly nudging Jinbo's body with his foot.

Turning to the group, Sae peered into the cold darkness looking for the right person.

"Komura-san there you are!" She exclaimed, pleased with her success and her newly promoted authority. A tall thin figure cloaked like the others stepped forward and dipped his head towards her in acknowledgement. In his hand was a long spear with a wicked blade at its tip.

"You're our best hunter. Find the girl and kill anyone who gets in your way. You know what to do." She kept her words clipped and short.

Komura remained silent, merely dipping his head slightly before turning to examine the scene before him as well as the surrounding area. After a few minutes of careful studying, Komura nodded to himself before disappearing in a whirlwind of snow chasing after the trail that had since gone cold to normal senses.

Toyohisa eyed her curiously.

"What happened to the Konoha mutt?" He asked. Sae looked over at him, her eyes shining with mischief.

"His team is dead and he and that glorified puppy of his went running back to the Leaf with their tails between their legs."

* * *

Hungry…

She was so hungry but she had to be patient.

Ever since she had escaped from the giant monster known as Jinbo she had kept moving. Only briefly had she considered going to Kudamono in the hopes of obtaining some help. The orange glow on the horizon and the screams and wails stopped her short.

The ninja had already paid a visit to the town.

So Himawari had hugged herself and turned back into the cold winter night. It was only by the will of Kami that she found a cave through all the snow. Trying desperately to keep warm she grabbed whatever sticks and small logs she could find from nearby dead and frozen trees before using some of the tricks Kouda taught her to create a small fire.

From that moment she had spent the next two weeks moving from place to place. The weather subsided and she chose a direction and began heading in it, unknowing of what lay ahead but determined to move all the same. She would survive and she would find a way to the Fire Temple because that was what Kouda had wanted.

* * *

 _Two weeks later_

She had travelled far; she could feel the ache of it in her bones. She couldn't be sure how far she had travelled but it was clearly far enough that the weather had begun to change. No longer was the world covered in a blanket of snow for as far as the eye could see.

That first week had been hard, moving from place to place, town to town. Himawari made sure to not stay near others for more than an hour or two before moving on. Despite Kouda's request the girl couldn't bring herself to part with the locket that he had given her. She got what she needed from begging and, when things took a turn for the worse, stealing food, water and other supplies. Actions that had gotten her run out of a few towns and villages.

As she moved further away from the clinic that she called home the snow turned more and more into green with each passing step until finally, two days ago, there was no snow left.

Instead what awaited Himawari was the most wondrous sight she had ever witnessed. Hefting her backpack, an item she had been lucky to get away with at the last village, she began her trek. In front of her was a landscape filled mostly with hills and a few plateaus. It took her a few hours but when she finally managed to reach the crest of what felt like the tenth hill, the view took her breath away. Laid out before her was a magnificent sea, a roiling plain of aquamarine blue and white-foam waves rolling gently towards a sandy beach. It was breath-taking to watch the patterns of the water, to smell the salt on the air and to hear the chirping of the gulls taking flight.

Looking closely she noticed that at several points along the beach there were small huts and amidst the blue there were small one-man fishing boats dotted throughout.

Himawari's eyes frowned in thought even as her stomach made its opinion abundantly clear. Fisherman meant food but with the terrain surrounding her it would be difficult to escape if she was caught stealing. The crime itself carried a terrible price in these lands and she grimaced, remembering seeing other thieves with missing limbs and appendages as reminders of their failures.

The only reason that she hadn't been caught was owing to the fact that she discovered that she had an innate talent for stealth, being able to move unseen amongst stalls and stores alike. On the few occasions that she had been spotted she had always been able to run faster and for longer than her pursuers. Where they would eventually collapse from exhaustion she found that she would only be slightly winded.

Her stomach disturbed her musings with another growl, obviously growing impatient with her. With a small sigh the girl observed her surroundings once more but this time with the intent to find a place to stay. It seemed though that luck was on her side. There a few hills away into the distance stood an old building and it seemed perfect.

Whatever food that she had stored away in her pack was quickly demolished that night, appeasing her belly at least a little. The building she found herself in was apparently some kind of old, abandoned shrine. At the forefront was a large wooden Buddha, its head lying away from it on the second step leading to the main shrine. The walls and floor were thick with decades of dust and there were cobwebs everywhere. The wood was rotted in some places from constant rainfall soaking into it over the years. In some places the damage was so bad as to do away with the wood entirely, leaving a few large holes in the floor. Inadvertently this provided Himawari with the perfect place to hide what little she had as well as any goods that she might be able to procure for herself from the surrounding fisherman's abodes.

Having found her temporary haven and with her belly filled somewhat, she fell into yet another uneasy sleep.

* * *

 _The next day_

She got to an early start that day. Now was the perfect time to go and scavenge from the locals as most would have already set sail and begun to work their craft upon the water. That meant that the fish from the past day or two not cooked would most likely be hanging up to dry for future use.

It was these drying fish that were her target. If she could just grab a few then that might be enough to get her to the next village. From what she knew, the Fire Temple was located on the westernmost border of the Land of Fire, far to the East. Since her escape from the ninja Himawari began to slowly make her way eastward in hopes of locating the monk Kouda had spoken of, Sora.

Himawari knew that if she could just find Sora then he might be able to tell her about her family, about who she is and then she could finally start putting the pieces together.

Himawari shook her head, determined to focus on the task at hand. Hiding behind a trio of barrels, she decided to risk it and peered over the rim of the barrels to get a quick peek at the hut's door.

She could see the rack where several fish hung from hooks, left to dry in the sun but that wasn't the concern. It was the sounds of loud snoring coming from the man sleeping on the chair next to the rack that was the problem.

Taking a deep breath she moved forward and attempted to snag herself some breakfast and some rations.

It turned out that her nervousness was nothing to be overly concerned with. The closer she got to the local man the more she noticed the smell that was wafting through the air. It made her nose wrinkle, the smell originating from the man's breath and the bottle that hung limply from his hand. In the end, stealth was the last thing on her mind as she merely walked past him and took what she needed and walked away. Stopping, Himawari hesitated before quickly walking back and into the drunk's home before emerging a minute later, cradling a jug of water under her arm even as she balanced it with the fish in her arms and a small, tied sack of rice hanging from the string between her teeth.

It took all she had to stop from giggling at the simplicity/ stupidity of it all. Maybe things were finally turning around. Looking up she could see the shrine that was her shelter on the hill ahead of her.

It was time to eat.

* * *

Running into the shrine, Himawari immediately made her way to the one of the broken floorboards where she had hidden her supplies. Setting down the food and water carefully, she then lowered herself into the hole and reached for the backpack letting out a small 'yes' of success when her searching digits found the pack.

Pulling it closer to her and letting the sunlight streaming from the doorway into the hole, illuminate her prize, she unclipped the pack and began digging around its contents searching for what she needed. It only took her a few moments to find the small pot and small twigs that she needed to start a fire and boil the rice and cook the fish. With a small heave she lifted the pot with the sticks now placed inside it, out of the hole and onto the floorboards. Pushing the backpack into its original hiding spot, Himawari proceeded to lift herself out of the hole with a small 'huff' of effort.

It was at that moment that she froze. Himawari wasn't quite sure what was wrong but there was something off and it sent a chill down her spine. Slowly she stood up and raised her head, looking immediately to the building's entrances to find the source of her unease.

She wasn't alone anymore. But there didn't seem to be anyone lingering in the doorways so she shook it off as mere paranoia.

 _There's no way that they could have followed me this far._

Reaching down, she picked up the pot only to drop it to the floor a moment later and fall backwards with a yelp of surprise and fear.

He was difficult to make out, seeming to blend into the shadows between the streams of light almost effortlessly. It was a man, lying on his back in front of the broken Buddha, his arms behind his head and a sedge hat covering his face, blocking the sunlight from shining directly onto him. Resting at his side Himawari noticed a sheathed sword in a scabbard as black as night. The stranger's clothes seemed ragged and worn, as if he had been wearing the same set for a long time and there were numerous holes poking through the poncho he wore as a blanket.

Seeing that the man wasn't making a move towards her, Himawari shakily got to her feet; her fists clenching so hard her knuckles were turning white. She was terrified but she wouldn't let him know that and decided to try and turn that fear into anger instead.

"W-who are y-you?" Instead of outrage as she had hoped her words instead came out as a nervous squeak. This only caused her cheeks to rapidly redden in embarrassment and she prayed that he interpreted that as warning.

"Don't worry… you're in no danger. I'm just passing through and needed a place to stay for a while. I've had a long journey." The stranger told her, removing one of his hands, a hand she noticed was entirely wrapped in bandages, to lift the tip of the sedge hat slightly and get a better look at her. Obsidian eyes and locks of raven-black hair tied back by several strips of cloth were all that Himawari was able to make out from her spot on the opposite side of the room.

Despite his words, Himawari could almost feel the fear in her blood as it coursed around in her veins so she tried again.

"Get out!" Thankfully this time she managed to keep it together and her voice came out stronger than before albeit at a whisper this time.

At this the stranger's eyes narrowed sharply but Himawari couldn't be sure whether it was out of amusement or anger and, to be safe, reached for the handle of the knife she kept tucked away behind her back.

Removing the sedge hat the man sat up slowly, gripping his sword in one hand he placed the end of the sheath on top of the fallen Buddha head and leaned on the blade, peering at her almost curiously over the sword grip.

"You're telling me… that I'm trespassing? That this place is your home?" Despite his questions the man actually seemed quite bored by the whole situation. Nevertheless dark eyes remained focused on her.

"T-that's right!" Himawari replied weakly, biting her lip and seeming to wilt under his gaze.

Letting out a small grunt, the stranger lay back down and returned the sedge hat to its former role as a sunshade.

"Then meet your new tenant." Himawari gaped at the man's actions and his audacity, her mouth opened and closed repeatedly like a fish on land.

"Smells like we're having fish and rice for breakfast… don't take too long because I'm starving." At this comment, Himawari's face felt like it was turning red-hot with rage.

 _The nerve of this… this… this man!_

Letting out an annoyed huff Himawari deigned not to reply and instead gathered her pot and food and moved outside to make a small fire so she could begin cooking.

 _Just today… then I can move on._

* * *

Sasuke wasn't quite sure what to make of the girl. It was an amusing coincidence that somebody else had already decided to make this shrine their own shelter. It was almost comical, her expressions as she took notice of him and then her reactions to every word he said.

What caught his interest was the flash of white in her eyes when she turned livid. It almost looked like…

As soon as the thought entered his head the Uchiha crushed it. It was impossible for the Hyuuga to lose a child, especially as far out from the Elemental Nations as this.

The girl stormed out and Sasuke let out an almost indiscernible chuckle. Resting for a few more minutes he got to his feet and began a few stretching exercises. Letting out a slow exhale the Uchiha moved outside to join his new roommate for breakfast. After all, she was kind enough to bring some for him.

"I think you haven't been here much longer than me." Sasuke told her casually taking a seat on the top step and laying Kusanagi across his lap, watching as the girl rubbed two sticks together on a small pile of logs, trying to use the friction to start a flame no doubt. The girl didn't reply and instead began rubbing the sticks together more furiously than before. It took a few tries but eventually she was able to get a small fire going.

A few minutes of silence fell between them as they both stared into the flames.

"What gives you that idea?" It was surprising that she replied but it had been a while since he had had any sort of conversation with another person and though he would never admit it, it felt strangely pleasing to speak with someone even if it was a child. It was because of this that Sasuke felt the need to keep the conversation going.

The girl got to her feet and fetched the small pot. Pouring some water into the pot she waited until the fire was warm and widespread enough before gently placing the pot onto the pile, taking care to ensure that the pot didn't smother the fire she had placed it on top of.

Resting his head back against the wooden banister Sasuke closed his eyes, still tired from his trek through the previous night.

"The wood was still damp. That's why it took so long to start the fire. It means that you haven't had the time to properly cure the wood." He kept his explanation as short and simple as he could, not caring if the girl understood what he meant.

The girl replied with a 'Hm' before going silent once more.

There was a gentle breeze on the wind. It felt wonderful on his skin and he made sure to enjoy it before it died down. Idly, he could hear the sounds of the girl preparing a meal; adding rice to the water and skewering fish and placing it over the flames. The sound of scales crackling as they crisped sounded like music to his ears and his stomach grumbled quietly.

It seemed as though the girl heard it because she let out a small huff of indignation.

"This isn't for you." She told him pointedly to which he replied with a small grunt.

Silence fell save for the sounds of her removing and preparing the food and after that, only the sounds of her biting into the fish. Sasuke said and did nothing, content to merely enjoy the morning.

He raised a single eyebrow when he heard the girl sigh before there were some shuffling sounds and then the strong smell of cooked fish wafted in his face.

"Here." The girl mumbled quietly. Cracking one eye open Sasuke took in the sight of the clearly charred fish on a skewer that was being offered to him. His eye roved over to the girl but she was pointedly avoiding looking at him, her head bowed as if she found her shoes to be the most interesting thing in the world.

"Thanks." He told her before taking the food from her. The girl merely nodded before moving back to sit in front of the fire.

"I'll get some bowls just now for the rice when it's ready." She called out just loud enough for him to make out.

Sasuke said nothing and bit into his food, grimacing at the taste but saying nothing to the girl about it.

Silence fell as the two focused on their meals and on enjoying the sun shining on the sea before them. It was just the two of them in that moment, ignorant to the designs that fate had planned.

Just a shinobi and a girl.

* * *

Well there we have our introduction! I originally planned to combine this chapter with my next one but it ended up being far too long for my tastes so I decided to split them instead.

I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you did please leave a review for me.

See you next time with Chapter 7 of Those Who Are Lost: Duels and Deals


	7. Duels and Deals

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 7

Duels and Deals

* * *

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners!

I am proud to present the next chapter of Those Who Are Lost and I hope that you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

I put a lot of thought into this fight and I hope that proves to be satisfactory. Now then, enough of my senseless prattle! On to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. Both of these fantastic epics are the rightful property of Masashi Kishimoto-sama.

Here we go!

* * *

It happened so suddenly that she couldn't believe it. One minute she was seated on the ground, enjoying her meal whilst doing her best to ignore her unexpected… roommate. He was rude and presumptuous and his constant cool demeanour irritated her for some reason.

But he didn't ask any personal questions so that was an unexpected boon Himawari supposed. It had been maybe an hour since they had both sat down and they had just finished their meals. The stranger had silently gotten up and returned with two small bowls and wooden spoons for the rice which he gave to her before returning to his previous position.

Silently she thanked him as she only had a single bowl of her own.

What caught her by surprise was what happened not long after they had finished eating. A large… force seemed to sweep in from the southeast. It was so intense that Himawari actually fell backwards from the sheer power of it. Rapidly getting to her feet Himawari began looking around frantically, looking for the threat.

There!

At the bottom of the hill there were a few armed men scaling the mound quickly. At the rear of the group stood a tall, cloaked figure holding a long spear in his hand. He was some distance away but Himawari knew that those eyes were focused on her.

 _That cloak is the same kind that those ninja wore before! They've found me!_

The stranger hadn't moved from his spot but his eyes were open and observant of his surroundings. Gritting her teeth Himawari sprinted past the man into the shrine and made a dash for her backpack. The stranger made no move to stop her.

Himawari cursed under her breath. Those men and that freak were ascending quickly. Swallowing she reached into the hole in the floorboards, frantically looking for her gear so she could make a break for it.

 _If I can just get outside I might be able to outrun them. I-_

Her thoughts were cut off and the last thing she heard was the sound of wood splintering and something small and hard smacking into her temple.

The world went black.

* * *

Sasuke's eyes shot open when he felt it. A massive surge of chakra, one that made him grip Kusanagi tightly and his muscles tighten in anticipation of a fight.

Outwardly he revealed nothing, a skill he had mastered long ago to catch his enemies off-guard. Deception was of course, one of the cornerstones of shinobi life.

 _That surge… it wasn't for a jutsu. That was a signal beacon._

It was a common tactic amongst shinobi. When a ninja found their selves in need of aid they would gather as much chakra as they could and pulsate it as far as possible. Like sonar on land.

The girl swore to herself and shot past him into the shrine, no doubt trying to get away before whoever showed up picked a fight with him. He let her go, trying to give her as much time as possible to escape.

People who picked a fight with him tended to get killed… and most of the surrounding area obliterated. He could sense one strong chakra signature and three very weak ones as well. What surprised him was what happened next. A small stone, covered in the familiar blue glow of chakra shot through the wall of the shrine, straight into the girl's head, knocking her to the ground.

For a moment the Uchiha thought that the blow had killed her but he could sense the chakra within her body was still pulsating albeit weakly.

"Don't worry traveller this doesn't concern you." Turning his head away from the girl, Sasuke took in the threat.

 _So they're not here for me huh?_

In front of him stood three men, kitted out in haphazard samurai armour and with sheathed but battered looking katana at their sides.

"We're here for the girl. Then we'll be on our way." The middle one told him. "Just don't get involved stranger and you'll be fine." He continued speaking as the trio kept moving forward.

 _Mercenaries most likely, Ronin…_

As the leader took the first step and made to move past him, Sasuke stretched out his leg blocking his progress.

"She's just a kid. She can't have done anything so bad as to warrant this kind of response." Sasuke told the Ronin even as the man jumped back. At his back the other two ronin drew their swords, ready for a fight.

"You have no idea who you're messing with stranger!" The Ronin growled lowly. Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously in return.

"Funny, I was about to the same thing." He told the Ronin evenly.

The Ronin gritted his teeth in anger, his hand moving to the handle of his katana. "Don't draw that sword" Sasuke warned him. The Ronin had no interest in listening to him and he began unsheathing his blade.

"You stupid little-" That was as far as the man got before Kusanagi separated his arm from his body. The man screamed in agony and tried moving back to get some distance between the two of them but the Uchiha was having none of that.  
Moving in one fluid motion, Sasuke grabbed the Ronin and pulled him close, allowing the fool to gaze into pitch black eyes before Sasuke smashed Kusanagi's hilt into the man's nose, smashing the bone back into the Ronin's brain, killing him instantly. The other two Ronin wasted no time and rushed forward to meet the threat. Using just a touch of chakra Sasuke flung the corpse in his hand at one of his foes before ducking underneath a swipe aimed for his jugular.

Diving off of the stairs towards the fire and then rolling out of the way of a follow-up downward strike from the now recovered second opponent. Sasuke's mouth curled upwards into a smirk. Deflecting one blow with Kusanagi's blade, his other hand which held his sword's sheath snaked under the handle of the pot that sat over the fire.

In half a second he went from defending himself to throwing a pot full of boiling water and rice straight into the face of the first Ronin. The Ronin screamed in agony as the skin on his face turned red and blistered and the man stumbled away, dropping his sword and clutching his hands to his injury. After that it took no more than a second to slip through his last opponent's guard and slit his throat.

Despite dealing with the Ronin, Sasuke did not relax. He couldn't. The chakra presence he had felt before had mysteriously vanished but the Uchiha knew that he was still in the area. Looking back in mild surprise he saw that the last Ronin with the now thoroughly boiled face was searching for him blindly, his arms flailing about.

The man knew that he was most likely going to die. He was just trying to fight him to the end. In a way it was admirable. With a small sigh Sasuke stepped over the threshold and into the shrine.

"Hey kid. Are you alright?" He asked walking towards her. The girl seemed to have woken up, the rock only having knocked her out for a few moments.

 _Tough girl._

"I'll be fine" the girl moaned, clutching the side of her head and wincing as she prodded the tender flesh.

Then _he_ appeared. Like a spectre the man formed at the opposing entrance to the shrine.

 _How did he appear without leaving a chakra trail?!_

Sasuke had no time to figure it out though as the man grinned wickedly before throwing a brace of kunai. The kunai were thrown towards him but with such speed that Sasuke knew that he couldn't move out of the way in time to avoid them. That left only one option; Deflection.

It wasn't something he wanted to do with a child so close to him but the kunai were travelling through the air too quickly and they seemed to be aimed at his vitals. Rushing forward, Sasuke smacked two of the daggers out of the air with the flat of Kusanagi's blade. With some strain he managed to twist out of the way and deflect the last kunai with his sheath knocking the kunai off course causing it to fly out the door and landed with a meaty 'thud'.

Absentmindedly Sasuke noted that the last Ronin's chakra suddenly snuffed out. The kunai must have found a victim. Advancing, Sasuke dashed forwards to prevent the ninja from releasing another flurry. The man was quite fast and managed to lose another volley before the Uchiha could reach him. This time though Sasuke was ready and with a wave of his hand a small field of lightning chakra knocked the kunai uselessly to the ground. His eyes swirled crimson and his opponent seemed to choke in shock before their eyes focused on his limbs. It had happened in a split second. Too quickly for him to place the ninja in a genjutsu, especially as his attention at the time was focused on deflecting projectiles.

From behind him the girl screamed in fear as kunai fell all around her though, thankfully, none of them wounded her. And then he was on the shinobi.

The other guy was good. As soon as he closed the gap and invaded his personal space the enemy nin withdrew a long Naginata spear with what looked like a serrated edge to it. Almost immediately Sasuke was put on the defence and retreated several steps to avoid getting skewered. Despite having escaped the spear by a few inches, a long tear appeared along the front of his poncho. Sharingan narrowing, he took in the blade of the spear. It was faint but there was wind chakra surrounding the edge. He'd have to be careful if he wanted to avoid having his guts spill all over the floor.

Well if the guy wanted to play dirty…

 _Then there's no reason I can't do the same._

The man obviously took his hesitation as an opportunity and sprinted forwards, spear raised to impale him against the wall. In retaliation Sasuke threw his scabbard, low with the intention of taking him out at the knees.

Unfortunately the ninja while surprised at the move managed to jump over the object only to receive two feet planted into his chest, knocking him back across the room with a 'oomph'.

Shakily the ninja got to his feet.

"I was right… it is you. Your look isn't exactly the same as it used to be but it's similar enough. Those moves and that blade though, that's what settles it." The ninja muttered.

"What are you talking about? Sasuke asked with a single raised eyebrow. The shinobi grinned at him before spitting out some blood onto the floor.

 _Guess I hit him harder than I thought._

"You're him! The Uchiha traitor!" The man all but spat at him as he said it. This time the Sharingan glowed menacingly.

"And you are?" It was a simple question but one that the ninja seemed to take an obscene amount of pleasure from being asked.

"You will not keep the girl from us!" He spat before finally introducing himself.

 _So he is here for the girl. Why would a ninja be after a girl? They must be after her Byakugan._

"They call me Komura. I am the Seventh Note of Oto and the man who is going to kill you!" With that Komura dashed towards him and Sasuke did the same in silence.

It was time to end this duel.

The air began to shimmer and distort from the wind chakra that now seemed to envelop the entire Naginata. Sasuke took a different approach and in a second, focused and moulded his chakra before expelling it. His empty hand clenched. Bandages crinkling slightly as he made a fist and allowed pure lightning chakra to spread all the way to the tips of his fingers before elongating past them to the point his hand became a virtual blade of lightning.

"Chidori Blade" He muttered softly to himself, not feeling the need to advertise his jutsu to the world. The two clashed and the fight took a brutal turn.

* * *

Himawari wasn't sure of too much these days but what she was seeing before her was both terrifying and wondrous. It seemed that her uninvited houseguest was a ninja as well and quite a dangerous one as well.

None of the other men had entered the shrine so that must have meant that the stranger took care of them or they had yet to make it up the hill. Instinct told her it was most likely the former. To her eyes he moved like a blur, deflecting whatever blue knives the other shinobi threw at him. Then the stranger summoned streams of lightning to negate the constant barrage of throwing knives and her fascination turned completely to fear as she was reminded of what she had just discovered.

 _H_ e's _one of them! One of the monsters!_

It was at that moment that Himawari became sure that her eyes had turned white again but all she could do was sit on her ass and watch as monster fought monster. Metal screeched against metal and the air was filled with the sound of thousands of chirping birds.

Slowly it seemed that the stranger was winning. No, in fact it was clear that he was winning. He was just faster and it seemed like he was more skilled as the other ninja wasn't able to land a single blow and if the blood in the air and cries of pain were any indication then he was the one being injured.

The stranger seemed to be moving so quickly that it almost appeared as if he were a ghost, blinking in and out of existence around his opponent with such grace and apparent ease that she found her eyes initially glued to the stranger's afterimage.

Things changed in that moment though. From the rear entrance another shinobi entered except… he was the same man that the Stranger was currently fighting. The double withdrew a kunai and moved towards the stranger intent on knifing him while his back was turned.

Himawari wasn't quite sure what possessed her but she found herself on her feet all of a sudden and running towards the double.

"Look out behind you!" Himawari yelled even as she attempted to sink her own small knife into the double's side. The double was not impressed with this and, almost absentmindedly, grabbed her wrist with one hand and raised a fist to strike her down hard. Himawari couldn't escape from the grip and so closed her eyes and winced in anticipation of the blow to come.

 _Besides, one more blow to the head isn't going to make a difference to a girl with amnesia._

But the blow never came.

* * *

Sasuke knew he had won the engagement the moment he crossed blades with Komura. The difference in their skill was simply too great. It wasn't that Komura was a terrible duellist but the truth was that Sasuke was simply too skilled in swordsmanship.

Now Komura stood a few steps back trying to regain some of his lost breath. Rivulets of blood dripped onto the floorboards from holes and gashes in the Sound nin's cloak. No doubt from numerous wounds that now graced his body.

"Look out behind you!" The girl screamed from behind him and the Uchiha wasted no time having sensed the threat already.

Spinning around he threw Kusanagi as though it were a javelin and watched with satisfaction as the blade sunk into the shadow clone's chest for a moment before the clone disappeared in a puff of smoke. At that exact moment, Komura leapt towards him, his weapon above his head with the aim of sinking the blade into Sasuke's skull.

Using the momentum from his throw, Sasuke continued his rotation and ended up facing Komura once again. Falling to one knee to stop his momentum, the Uchiha raised his Chidori Blade towards Komura and refocused his chakra. The lightning flickered erratically for a fraction of a second before arcing forward like a beam.

 _Chidori True Spear._

The jutsu lanced forwards, piercing Komura's cloak as if it didn't exist and striking the shinobi through his chest cavity and exiting through the other side. Komura fell to the ground like a rock, dead before he even knew what killed him.

A strange silence fell over the shrine save for the puff of smoke that still smoked and lingered from the clone that had dissipated both due to the sword through its chest and that the original was now crumpled on the floor with a smoking hole through his chest. The moment passed and Sasuke, straightening his attire moved to Komura's body and began rifling through the dead man's pockets.

With a small smile, Sasuke withdrew his prize: A small sack, containing a sizeable amount of ryo if the weight was anything to go by.

"You won't need this where you're going." He told the corpse before returning to his feet.

"You're one of them." It was said so quietly that Sasuke wasn't sure that someone had said it till he remembered the girl was there.

Looking at her terrified expression, Sasuke scoffed.

"In a way I suppose I am."

"You're a monster too." She continued, her voice filled with a hatred that sounded all too familiar.

"In a way I suppose I am." The Uchiha repeated, gathering his scabbard and sheathing his sword "Just a different kind of monster."

Making his way to the door he stopped at the threshold and looked back over his shoulder at the girl.

"I don't know why there are ninja after you but you should probably get away from here." He warned her before heading out.

The girl said nothing and just stood there, staring at him as he left.

* * *

Making his way down the hill, the side facing away from the beach, he found Kamui grazing on the grass at the base of the hill.

Moving up to her, Sasuke patted the side of her neck affectionately. "Hey girl, did you miss me?"

Kamui whinnied and lowered her head to sniff him. "It's okay girl, it's not my blood." Sasuke assured the beast, grabbing the rein and preparing to mount the horse.

"Wait!" Someone called out after him. Taking a deep breath Sasuke turned to meet the girl from before, running down the hill quickly to catch up to him.

"There something you need kid?" He called out. Her steps faltered when he called her that but she regained her balance and managed to come to screeching halt in front of him.

Sasuke blinked, unsure of what exactly was happening here. The girl faced him, her head and upper body bowed low and her arms extended with something between them. Upon closer inspection, he found that it was some kind of locket. On her back was that pack of hers. The thing looked like it had been hastily put back together.

 _What is she…?_

Waving her off he turned back to Kamui who had returned to feeding off the grass.  
"I don't need payment for helping you." He told her.

Her head shot up at that comment, eyes white and simmering with rage. What he said was apparently the wrong thing to say.

* * *

"That's not what this is for!" Himawari insisted, shoving Kouda's locket towards him again. The stranger looked back between her and the locket a few times, his face expressionless but Himawari could see there was question in his eyes.

"Then what is this for?" He asked her.

"I want to hire you!" She meant to say it calmly but the stress of what had just happened meant that she wasn't exactly thinking straight. Heat flooded her cheeks in embarrassment as her words came out as more of a shout than anything else. The stranger winced slightly before taking on that confused look again.

"Hire me?"

"You're a ninja." It was a statement not a question and it failed to impress the stranger.

"Yes, I am."

"I need you to get me to the Fire Temple in the Land of Fire." Himawari told him desperately, trying and failing to keep the desperation from seeping into her voice. The stranger eyed her up and down as if weighing her with his eyes.

"I'll pass. I have to keep moving." He told her getting on his horse and the mount began walking away. Himawari, determined to get what she was after, followed next to the beast.

"What do you mean you have to keep moving?" She asked him incredulously. The stranger kept his eyes on the horizon, looking for the trail he had come from.

"I just killed four men. I can't afford to stay in a dangerous place like this. You should keep moving as well." He explained to her. Himawari merely frowned in dislike at this and fisted the locket at her side.

"I saved your life." She told him acerbically to which the stranger merely snorted.  
"Trust me, you really didn't." He said dismissively. The horse must've felt that Himawari was getting too close for comfort and flicked its tail towards her, as if she were nothing more than an annoying insect. Stopping in her tracks Himawari looked at the stranger as he rode away, struggling to keep the tears that were threatening to fall from doing so.

The stranger did nothing and kept on riding getting further and further away.

 _I can't let it end like this… I need help or… Or I won't be able to keep my promise to Kouda._

"They wouldn't have found me if it wasn't for you!" Himawari screamed, tears dripping onto the ground.

The stranger stopped.

* * *

Kamui came to a stop at her master's command and Sasuke sat there, absorbing what the girl said.

 _She's wrong. There's no way that I…_

But the more that he thought about it the more unsettling he found it. Back in the Hidden Countries he had made it a habit to mask his chakra presence so as to avoid unwanted attention. The moment he had begun journeying into the Lands Unknown he had stopped.

There was no point anymore as there were almost no shinobi in these lands. The girl could be right. Though Komura had told him that he was there for the girl they could have been focusing on his chakra, curious to see who carried such immense power so far from home.

"It's not my responsibility." He told himself "She'll make it or she won't. Someone from Konoha must be looking for her. I'm sure someone will come along." But no matter what he said he could hear their voices in the back of his mind.

Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura and Itachi all were whispering the same thing in his head.

 _Someone has come along._

"Damn it all!" He hissed to himself, trying to move his arms and legs to tell Kamui to keep moving. But no matter how hard he tried his limbs refused to listen to him.

Some time passed as the Uchiha sat there, an internal war of wills raging inside his mind and inside his heart. He only refocused on the real world when he felt a small hand tugging on his pant leg. Looking down he saw the girl looking at him, one hand outstretched with the locket dangling from her fist.

"Please… it's not worth much but it's all I have. Please… I need you to help me." She begged him quietly, shining tears streaming from eyes like the moon.

…

With a sigh the Uchiha outstretched his hand to the girl, reaching for the locket. Reaching past it he grasped her hand and in one swift motion, lifted her up onto Kamui behind him. She gave a small squeak of surprise but otherwise said nothing, small arms instead snaking around his waist to better hold on.

"It's at least a week's journey from here to Fire Country. The temple is probably another two days journey from the border so we'll need to stop a few times along the way in order to pick up some supplies." He explained to her, keeping his attention on the small trail ahead of them.

"Okay" She answered him softly. For the next few minutes there was nothing said between them and they merely enjoyed the sound of the hooves

"Himawari" It was said so quietly he almost didn't hear it. Turning his head slightly Sasuke looked back at her. Understanding what she was trying to say he dipped his head towards her.

"Sasuke" He replied. Himawari nodded and laid her head against his back.

 _What have I gotten myself into now?_

 _What are you doing here little Hyuuga?_

* * *

There you go.

Now the two of them have finally been properly introduced and our heroes have officially begun their adventure together.

I am so excited that I've already begun writing the next chapter. I will be on holiday until next week Tuesday but I will continue writing when I get back.

P.S. The main reason why Sasuke didn't immediately destroy his opponent is a simple one. He was fighting in a cramped building with a little girl right there in the combat zone. Both his and Naruto's jutsu and techniques have a way of causing extreme destruction to their environments.

Please review guys it means a lot to me and it helps me to address issues that I miss in my initial writing.

Until next time

Chapter 8: Those Who Are Lost

Chats on the Road Of Life


	8. The Perils of the Road of Life

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 8

Perils on the Road of Life

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! It's been a while and I apologise for the delay. My laptop seemed to give up the ghost and I just now have access to the internet again. Exam period is rolling around again as well so my online time will be spotty at best, apologies in advance.

Despite this hardship I have worked hard to bring to you the next chapter of Those Who Are Lost and I believe it to be quite an exciting one myself. I hope that you enjoy it and I have altered the title a little bit to suit the chapter better.

A special call out to **fanofthisfiction** and **TAYYABALARAIB** for their amazing reviews and support for this story. You guys are awesome!

I proudly present to you the next chapter in this story.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are both the intellectual properties of the great Masashi Kishimoto. Long live Kishimoto-sama!

Now then, enough of my senseless prattle and on to the story!

* * *

Toyohisa grinned at the scene before him.

He and the rest of the Notes had made their quickly to their brother's location upon sensing his chakra pulse. The man could almost smell the excitement in Sae's blood as they sped across the trees and over the grasslands towards Komura's location. After all such a chakra pulse could only mean one thing.

Komura had found the girl.

Such news had been well received by the Oto ninja and it showed as they sped closer and closer to their quarry with the fire of determination burning within their breasts.

Finallly they could grab the bitch and leave this forsaken land and return home. They expected to find Komura along with the Hyuuga in tow, grinning at them triumphantly. Similarly, the mercenaries that had remained with them probably expected to be paid soon with more Ryo than they could carry and accordingly galloped at full speed to keep pace with their shinobi employers.

What none of them expected was to find was Komura and the Ronin trackers; dead and the girl nowhere to be found.

It was the sight of this massacre that brought a smile to the Sword of Oto's face.

 _Whoever did this must be strong!_ He couldn't help but think to himself, his tongue sweeping across his teeth briefly. An old habit of his whenever he felt the bloodlust fall upon him.

The youngest and wildest of the Notes, Maru, knelt down next to Komura's body and stuck her finger deep into the nin's chest wound. After a few moments she withdrew her finger and stuck the digit inside her mouth tasting the charred blood residue with such a strange curiosity and delight that Toyohisa couldn't help but grimace. Sae stood next to the girl, her expression unreadable.

"What did this Maru?" She asked stiffly.

Maru was very young to be a member of the Notes. Despite being sixteen the girl had the appearance of a child no more than twelve. Her own side-effect of Lord Orochimaru's experiments. Maru sat on her hind legs and let out a soft hum. Looking closely one could see the girl's tongue pressing against the inside of her cheek as it moved from side to side tasting Komura's blood.

Sae for her part found no joy in Maru's bloodline technique. The girl came from some obscure clan located somewhere in the Land of Snow before coming into the Master's service, bringing with her her peculiar ability. Sae wasn't sure she understood entirely how it worked but she did know this: When the girl tasted things she was able to divine certain... facts.

Maru looked up at her, eyes brimming with excitement and her fists shaking with adrenaline.

"Lightning." She whispered.

"Lightning?" Sae asked again, not sure if she had heard her correctly.

"Lightning! Such pure lightning!" The girl told her loudly in confirmation, rocking backwards and forwards restlessly. Behind her, Sae could hear the remaining Ronin mumble amongst themselves about 'witchcraft' and 'blood magic'.

One of the largest of the Notes, Batou, grumbled in the back. The sound coming out as a deep mechanical growl owing to the fact that the entire lower half of his face as well as his throat consisted of some mechanical monstrosity. The man tightened his grip on his shouldered bow, a massive weapon made from some kind of animal bone and with a string that seemed to glow silver when it caught the light at a certain angle.

Toyohisa let out a low whistle as a warning to the Ronin. Batou was a terrifying individual with more than enough strength to rip a man into two halves. He also happened to be extremely protective of Maru and had killed those who had insulted her in the past. Sae for her part ignored the drama and retained her attention on Maru as the girl closed her eyes and began swaying from side to side attempting to divine something else of use.

"The girl doesn't have an affinity for lightning chakra, it's not in her blood." Sae said plainly, placing an open palm against a wooden pillar, trying to sense the remnant chakra in the air.

Sae sensed little, the chakra traces were far too faint for her abilities to sense. Turning her attention back to Maru she awaited further confirmation.

"It doesn't belong to the Hyuuga. It reeks of man." At this Sae's head snapped up and she could tell that she wasn't the only one whose attention was now focused on the girl.

"What do you sense Maru?" Batou asked as gently as was possible given the circumstances of his voice and her current condition.

"This chakra... I've never felt such darkness!" Maru whispered fiercely. While the others merely stood in silent confusion and Toyohisa scoffed in disbelief, Sae couldn't help the sense of dread that now swept over her nor the cold trickle of unexplained fear that seemed to trickle down her spine.

It wasn't possible. There was no way _he_ was here in this wasteland.

Swallowing deeply she managed to force the question out from between her lips.

"Who is it?" Such a simple question. One with huge implications if her suspicions were proven correct.

"A man. One of blood and rage. A man with the power of both lightning and fire coursing through his veins and a legion of ghosts crying out for vengeance forever at his back!" Maru swayed backwards and forwards, losing herself in the trance. It was clear that the force of whatever she was feeling and seeing was overpowering her and it looked as if she would faint at any moment. Batou moved forward to steady her in case.

"Who is it?!" Sae asked again with more force but the girl fell backwards into Batou's arms and her eyes began to roll upwards into her head as she began to lose consciousness. In spite of this Maru found the strength to utter one last word before she blacked out. One word that changed the very nature of their hunt. A word that made their task far more daunting than before.

"Uchiha."

* * *

It had been several hours since they had found themselves on the trail leading to the East and in turn, the Hidden Nations. In that time Himawari said little and instead contented herself with resting against Sasuke's back, her eyes half-open and taking in the sight of the wind rolling across the grassy hills as they moved further inland and away from the water and shrine. Himawari loved the movement of the grass in concerto with the breeze.

She didn't feel well. Perhaps it was the up and down rocking motion of the horse? Or it could've been the stress of the past few days finally catching up with her in addition to her current state of malnutrition. One small meal of fish and rice was hardly enough to return her to a state of proper health after all. She could almost feel the blood rush to her face as her stomach chose that moment to voice its predicament quite loudly.

Himawari mumbled a soft apology to which the Uchiha responded with a simple 'Hn'. Several moments passed with no words spoken between them before the man let out a small sigh. Reaching backwards with one hand Sasuke reached into one of the saddlebags and began fumbling around with his fingers, trying to grab something.

It only took a few seconds before he withdrew a small sack and brought it back in front of him. Himawari couldn't see what he was doing but she found herself surprised when he nudged her with his elbow before presenting her with something in hand.

Focusing her attention on the object, Himawari's eye widened as she identified it as a long strip of dried meat. She briefly considered refusing, not wanting to be any more indebted to this man than she had to be, but her stomach readily and loudly protested against such consideration.

"Take it already." Sasuke told her, turning his head slightly to look back at her. A piece of jerky stuck out from between his teeth as he stared at her lazily.

Hesitating only a moment more Himawari mumbled out a quick thanks before taking the food and taking a small bite of it.

It was salty. Very salty, to the point that she couldn't help but grimace at the initial taste. Sasuke let out a small snort of amusement before returning his attention to the path, keeping the sack of food in his lap in case either of them wanted more. Despite the taste Himawari continued to eat and found herself surprised that, after the initial bite, she enjoyed it somewhat and even asked for seconds once she was done with the first piece. Sasuke handed over another portion without a word and grabbed another one himself.

"There's water in the flagon just behind you on the left if you're thirsty." He informed her absently. Himawari responded with another quiet thanks and left it at that.

"Are you ready to talk?" Sasuke asked her. Himawari froze, the tip of the flagon against her lips and her eye now sharply and firmly pressed on Sasuke's back.

"A-about what?" She tried to make her voice sound as meek and vulnerable as possible in the hopes of convincing the man to back off.

It didn't work.

"Why were there armed men and a shinobi after you?" The Uchiha pressed. Bristling against what she felt could be an interrogation she tried turning the tables.

"They could've been there for you." She retorted. It was with that that Himawari found herself greatly surprised as the man let out a small laugh.

"If those people had been there for me then they wouldn't have been." Sasuke informed her simply. While he said the words as if it was the simplest thing in the world it only served to confuse Himawari further.

"What does that even mean?" She asked in an attempt to draw his questions away from her.

"It means that if they'd known who I was and that I was there then they would never have approached in the first place." He informed her shortly clearly uncomfortable about revealing too much about himself either.

"Besides" He continued "We both know that they were there for you so stop avoiding the question girl."

"Himawari." She corrected him, annoyed that he had already forgotten.

"Himawari then."

Biting her lip in thought Himawari struggled internally to decide whether or not to tell him anything. Absent-mindedly she poked her index fingers together as she made her decision. Whether she liked it or not Himawari knew that she needed the man in front of her if she wanted to make it safely to the Fire Temple.

"I don't know." She told him honestly. Almost immediately Sasuke replied with "I don't believe you."

Taking a deep breath and fighting the sudden wave of nausea she explained the situation to him more clearly.

"I'm not lying entirely. I don't know who they are or why they're after me. The men with swords I've never seen before but the one with the cloak..."

Sasuke grunted for her to continue, facing forward and not showing any visible reaction to her words.

"I lost my memory. For a while I stayed with... an old man who tried to help me recover parts of myself. It was only after we began asking questions that _they_ showed up. Those robed freaks! They killed my friend and have been hunting me ever since." She tried to keep her voice strong and unwavering but the memory of Kouda's death still haunted her and she fought desperately to keep tears from forming.

"Why the Fire Temple?" Sasuke asked, ignoring Himawari's pain in favour of the facts.

"There's a priest there who knows who I am and who my parents are. Kouda was going to send a message asking for answers before they..." Himawari just trailed off, no more needing to be said on the matter.

"Those eyes of yours..." Sasuke began, pausing only when he felt the girl stiffen suddenly.

"You saw?" She asked him, voice meek with worry. Sasuke let out another 'Hn' of acknowledgement and continued on.

"You possess the Byakugan. The 'all-seeing' eyes of the Hyuuga Clan... you're from Konoha." He informed her. Himawari stayed silent for a few minutes to absorb the information.

"So I'm a Hyuuga?" She asked Sasuke curiously.

Sasuke considered it for a moment before shaking his head.

"I doubt it. You may have Hyuuga blood but if you were a pureblood you wouldn't have been allowed to leave the village until you had attained the rank of Genin and held it for at least half a year. You're far too young to have been one and besides... your blue eyes prove you're a bastard child."

Sasuke paused for a brief moment, surprised in that he had said more in the past hour than in the last two years.

"So my family might be there!" Himawari said excitedly only to deflate when Sasuke shook his head.

"The Hyuuga are purists and hardliners on the matter of blood. From the stories I've heard they don't look too kindly on bastards." Sasuke warned her.

"What do you mean?"

"If they had found out about you they would've taken your eyes. It's possible that you were raised in one of Konoha's outlying towns though."

The two of them fell back into silence. This time though, it was a lot more tense. Himawari wiped away sweat that had suddenly formed on her brow.

It was getting hot. Very hot.

"Where are we going?" Himawari asked tiredly.

"We'll enter the Hidden Nations through the Land of Wind before working our way up through to the Land of Fire and finally to the Fire Temple where you'll no longer be my problem." He told her shortly.

"Are we going through the Dustwall?" This surprised the Uchiha. He didn't think that she would know of the place.

"No. Dustwall is the closest and safest route of access through into the Land of Wind. However Dust-town is also a notorious hive of scum and villainy. We wouldn't last five minutes before someone spilled our location to your... pursuers." Sasuke told her, whipping the reins to get Kamui to speed up to a light trot.

There were dark clouds gathering behind them and he wanted to find reach the canyon before the clouds decided to follow them.

"So how will we cross the border then?" Himawari mumbled, resting her head against Sasuke's back yet again and closed her eyes to try and get some sleep.

She was so tired.

"We'll be going through Whittlebone Canyon. It's a maze of tunnels, caves, crevices and canyons. To put it simply, it's a perfect way to get through to the border without drawing attention."

* * *

The last fisherman died poorly. Vomiting blood up as Toyohisa's blade carved its way up through his stomach to his collarbone, splitting the man from sternum to neck.

With a quick flourish, Toyohisa returned his blade to its sheath after flicking the blood off of it and spat on the still twitching corpse before exiting the hut.

 _What a waste of my time._

Normally he wouldn't have wasted his time with such... pathetic creatures but secrecy was of utmost importance in this mission. There could be no witnesses to their actions.

"This whole affair has become a mess." Toyohisa grumbled. To his left, leaning against the wall stood Sae, her arms crossed and head bowed. At first glance one might think that she had fallen asleep standing up but swordsman knew better than that when it came to the Spider of Oto.

"Obviously." Sae retorted simply after a moment.

Clearly the woman was troubled with the new challenge that faced them in their retrieval of the girl.

"It will be a glorious fight. Killing the Uchiha will bring me the highest honour in the eyes of the Master." Toyohisa voiced, raising his arms in the air as if he could embrace the future death to come. This information did surprise Sae and her eyes shot up and towards him, incredulous as to what he had just said.

"You can't be serious." She told him bluntly.

 _Surely even Toyohisa-san cannot be this insane?!_

"I'm always serious about matters of blood." His voice almost seemed to quiver with excitement as he said it.

"Then you're a bigger fool than I imagined." She spat, more out of disbelief than actual anger. Toyohisa said nothing and began moving back towards the rest of their group.

"You really think that you'd be able to best _him_?" Sae questioned her tone shifting from one of shock to one of reluctant curiosity. Toyohisa for his part merely grinned at her in answer and gave a light shrug.

"When you believe as I do, anything is possible." With that he moved away towards their encampment.

Sae followed him soon after. They knew what it was that they had to do and there was a plan in place to catch their prey.

Luckily it seemed that Komura had left them with a way to trace the girl...

* * *

"There it is Himawari. Our way across the border." Sasuke informed her, bringing Kamui to a stop in order to let the mount catch its breath. He wasn't about to admit it but taking in the view didn't hurt either.

Whittlebone Canyon. One of the most ancient wonders of the world it was truly something to behold. A great canyon which, from the entrance, seemed to stretch hundreds of feet into the air. Sasuke could only see a couple hundred meters into the canyon before it curved off away from sight. He could barely make out that there were varying paths carved up and into the side of the rock walls. In truth Sasuke knew that the wonder stretched far into the horizon, as expansive as it was steep.

It was named due to the hundreds of caves that littered its insides. Sasuke knew of this as he had used the canyon to escape the Hidden Countries into the Lands Unknown the first time that he'd crossed the border.

The canyon proved a great source of danger but in spite of the risk the path remained a popular trade route. Despite this Sasuke didn't expect them to encounter anyone on the way. After all there were so many winding paths leading into and out of Whittlebone that one could travel it a hundred times and never meet another soul.

This was the reason Sasuke favoured it as a means of entry into and out of the Countries. He didn't like the look of the weather though. Whittlebone was susceptible to sandstorms swept in from the Land of Wind. Such weather also happened to be the leading cause for deaths as people lost sight of their path and stepped off of it into thin air only to plummet to their deaths.

"We'll take shelter inside one of the caves for the night. For now we better get moving before the weather takes a turn for the worse and a sandstorm decides to hit." He told her before spurring Kamui into a canter.

Himawari merely let out a tired hum before falling silent again.

 _Why am I doing this? Why am I helping this girl?_

Since this journey had begun the Uchiha couldn't help but to think on his situation as of late. He was perfectly content on his own, wandering from place to place and just minding his own business. Now however, it seemed as though his life had turned upside down in a frighteningly short amount of time.

What Sasuke would never admit out loud was the fact that he knew exactly why he had decided to help the girl.

It was because Himawari reminded him of himself when he was that age. Lost, angry and afraid. The company didn't hurt either.

The journey took a few hours and the air seemed to become thick with tension, as if it were holding its breath, waiting for something. They had to stop for the day. The wind was picking up, creating a loud whistling noise as it sped through the canyon towards them, kicking up small rocks, dust and sand as it passed. It was definitely becoming too dangerous to travel now.

Looking to his left Sasuke grimaced. They were currently on a very narrow path and whoever had last travelled through had worn it down considerably.

 _Probably a large cart or convoy of them._

Either way the road was rocky and uneven to the point where Kamui whinnied in discomfort with each step. The added weight of two people and their belongings did little to help the steed's endeavour. Luckily there was an opening just a few feet ahead and to the right, probably a cave etched into the canyon-side, where they could take shelter from the sandstorm.

Urging Kamui forward with a small pat of comfort against her mane, they continued onwards for perhaps just another foot or so before nature itself turned against them.

"Shit." Sasuke couldn't have prevented the curse from passing his lips if he had wanted to. It came rushing towards them out of nowhere, a massive tidal wave of wind and sand bearing down on them like a wild beast ready to crush the life from their bodies and feast on the remains.

 _Something that large, we'll be swept over the edge!_

The Uchiha knew he could survive but the same could not be said for the girl or for Kamui. Not stopping for a moment Sasuke formed a series of single-handed handsigns and placed Kamui under a genjutsu so she would remain oblivious to the oncoming threat and spurred her forwards into a gallop.

 _Just a few more feet!_

Even as the thought crossed his mind Sasuke prepared himself to make a sharp turn into the cave. Silently the Uchiha prayed that it would be big enough for all of them.

"Mr. Sasuke...?" Himawari mumbled weakly against his back "I don't feel so... good..."

"Just hold on, we're almost there!" Sasuke growled, his grip tight upon Kamui's reins. Then something changed as Sasuke pulled Kamui from her near gallop into a canter in order to turn into the cave. The pressure at his back faded. Himawari's weight had simply disappeared.

Looking back Sasuke's eyes widened in shock, being able to just briefly acknowledge that the girl had been thrown off the horse during the turn and was now hurtling through the air and over the side of the path to the bottom of the canyon. Time seemed to freeze in that moment as the great and formidable Sasuke Uchiha considered what to do.

Kamui was halfway into the cave opening with him sitting astride her. The sandstorm was right on their heels and would pass by in just a few seconds and to go charging back out there in such conditions would be extremely dangerous, even for a trained ninja. A horrible thought crossed his mind that perhaps it was all for the best.

The girl was a burden and more trouble than she was worth. Agreeing to take her to the Fire Temple was an idiot thing to promise, especially as it took him so close to Konoha. Her pursuers were no laughing matter either and Sasuke knew he had no idea why they wanted her in the first place. Why should he go out there to save such a weak thing as her?

 _You know why little brother._ Itachi whispered in the back of his mind.

Despite those words Sasuke remained unconvinced and hesitated.

One second was all it took to hesitate... and then the storm hit and the decision was made for him. Sasuke knew what he had to do.

* * *

Wow! What tension there as I was writing those last few words!

I must say that it feels good to be back up and writing again. I know this was hardly my best work but I will be sure to touch up all of my chapters when the story is finished. Please let me know if you spot any inconsistencies, continuity errors or plot-holes so I can go back and address them.

I am really excited for this story and hope that you all enjoy it. I know I changed the chapter title but I will do that often. My chapter titles are created by inspiration in the moment not in advance.

Please review and let me know what you think.

Next Chapter: Just Another Poisoned Heart.


	9. Just Another Poisoned Heart

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 9

Just Another Poisoned Heart

* * *

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! I'm just going to jump straight to the good stuff so enjoy the next chapter you crazy kids! 😉

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. Both of these epic stories belong to the great Masashi Kishimoto, long may he reign.

* * *

 _Shit!_

Throwing himself off of Kamui, Sasuke fell to the ground before rolling sideways and to his feet in one smooth motion in order to retain at least some momentum. He didn't have much time.

It was bad out there. The sand, wind and rocks obscured everything in sight to the point where the most the Uchiha could see was perhaps an arm's length into the distance. Despite this he wasted no time and sprinted to the cliffside, not hesitating for a second before stepping over the edge after the girl.

Cursing as a gash appeared on his cheek, courtesy of a stray rock thrown by the wind as fast as a kunai, Sasuke activated his sharingan even as his feet found the rock-wall and he began running down the side. In these conditions, it was almost impossible to find the perfect chakra balance so as to adhere to the surface of the wall so instead he used gravity and the momentum of his footfalls to pick up speed.

He needed to catch up with Himawari before she turned into little more than a red splatter on the canyon floor. To an outsider's point of view his sharingan shone like a crimson beacon in the sandstorm.

Lifting his shirt up over his mouth so that he wouldn't have to breathe sand and dirt Sasuke attempted to pierce the storm with his kekkei genkei. Only a second or two had passed since he had left Kamui but it was already far longer than he would have liked.

 _There!_

Zeroing in on Himawari's falling body, he added a burst of chakra to his next step and pushed off into the open air. Thanks to the chakra he shot forward like a lightning bolt after the Hyuuga hand already extended and ready to catch her. At the rate, they were falling it was going to be close.

 _Maybe five seconds till we hit the bottom…_

His fingers were almost touching hers.

 _Four seconds._

They were just barely grazing hers.

 _Three seconds._

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in concentration as he stretched with all his might and almost reached the girls waist. If he caught her by the arm then the whiplash when he stopped their fall would rip her arm out of its socket.

 _Two seconds!_

His arm wrapped itself around her stomach. It would have to do and the Wanderer wasted no time. Pulling the girl close to him with one arm he extended the other to where he knew the ground to be and screamed with a hint of desperation.

"Almighty Push!" His Rinnegan glowed a brilliant violet as it activated and gravity seemed to slow significantly buying the Uchiha perhaps another few seconds before they both became smears on the ground.

 _No time to use Susanoo!_

The girl wasn't reacting to anything and would be of no help so Sasuke did the only thing he could think of to save both of them. He withdrew a kunai from his thigh-holster and channeled his chakra into it before reaching out and slamming it into the side of the canyon.

An action that he immediately regretted doing. While the blade quickly chipped and dulled against such resistance it served its intended purpose and halted their descent sharply. However, with Himawari's added weight and Sasuke's body facing towards the earth it meant that such a sharp counterforce was too much for his body to handle. His body flipped the right way up but his arm…

Sasuke roared as white hot fire swept over him, his arm pulled out of its socket with a horrid cracking sound. The pain was unbelievable and the effort of hanging on by a dislocated limb while holding onto the girl was even now beginning to take its toll on him as sweat dripped from his brow onto his lips, teeth bared with the effort of keeping them aloft.

 _At least she isn't conscious for this._

Unsurprisingly the thought did little to comfort Sasuke as he closed his eyes and began focusing his chakra and preparing his sharingan. Unfortunately the kunai decided that it couldn't maintain its integrity and the blade snapped causing the duo to fall once more.

Cursing loudly, Sasuke made sure that he hugged the girl close to his chest and adjusted his fall so that he would take the brunt of the impact. Sasuke kept his eyes closed whilst continuing to gather and shape his chakra even over the roar and bite of the wind and the sand upon it.

The ground was close. Far too close for Sasuke's liking and he could almost feel the Reaper's breath at his back.

Suddenly the two became enveloped in a set of spectral ribs and wreathed in purple chakra. Just in time too, the ribs cracking as they hit the canyon floor with a crashing sound that would make a veteran wince. Luckily Susanoo managed to save their lives but Sasuke wasn't able to strengthen it enough in time in order to completely dissipate the force of the impact.

Because of this the moment they impacted the Uchiha fell into darkness, the world fading to black momentarily as white-hot pain shot throughout his body.

 _Definitely not my best fall._

* * *

Letting out a pained sigh he laid there for a few long moments, trying to focus his way through the haze of pain pulsing from his now battered body. The time passed quicker than Sasuke would have liked but the weather was getting worse and the sand was so thick that he felt that he was choking on the air.

A small seed of worry sprouted in his mind when Himawari remained silent. It was possible that she was in shock from the fall and their landing, her screams silenced by the howling wind or even, perhaps, that she had fainted from the trauma.

Sasuke let out a sharp hiss as his arm reminded him of its condition. Slowly he rolled over so that the pair's positions were now reversed and he was on top of the Hyuuga. Undoing his poncho, he tucked the tips of one half into the back of his pants before throwing the rest over their heads and holding onto the material tightly.

It was a horrendously inelegant solution but it would serve to provide some form of shelter from the sand and wind. It would also give him the opportunity to look Himawari over properly.

The Hyuuga was unconscious but her condition wasn't good either. Although there were no injuries that he could immediately discern save for a few mild scratches, no doubt from flying rocks on her way down, a fine sheen of sweat covered her skin.

Keeping his hand on his poncho so that it would not be swept away, Sasuke lowered his head to hers, touching Himawari's forehead with his own, trying to get a feel for her temperature.

She was burning up, he could feel it despite the heat of the air around them. Her throat was swollen slightly as were the lids of her eyes and there were spots of inflammation all over her skin.

 _Poison…_

This wasn't good. Poisoned weapons were actually a rarity in shinobi for mainstream combat weapons. The danger lay in the handling of one's own weapon as it would be so easy to brush the blade and accidentally end up with a case of self-poisoning.

 _Where is it?_ Sasuke thought to himself, his Sharingan activating in preparation. His eye scanned quickly over her form, looking for any sign of injury.

Any cut or scratch.

 _There!_

On her side by her hip was a small hole in the cloth. Lifting her shirt up slightly so that he could better examine the area his eyes widened in surprise. It was little more than a scratch really, probably received from one of the stray kunai he deflected back at the shrine.

What surprised him was the poison itself. Long, black tendrils under her skin that seemed to be spreading further and further with every second, albeit at a very slow pace.

 _Had to have been a contact poison. Only way it could've gotten into her bloodstream from such a minor cut._ The thought did nothing to relieve him as the last Uchiha uncharacteristically bit his lip in thought.

His Sharingan saw many things, including the makeup of the poison. It was one of Orochimaru's old favorites.

It was known as the Black Spider. Apparently, a derivative of one of the Sound Four's transformative abilities. It also just so happened to be curable if treated in time.

If the poison reached her heart she was finished. Tracking the path of the tendrils he noticed that they already stretched far across her chest, far closer to her heart than he would have preferred.

 _At this rate, she has maybe an hour left, possibly less._

All things considered Sasuke knew that this was a lucky break. When he... left Orochimaru's service he took with him a number of cures and remedies, just in case any Sound-nin decided to come after him in revenge for their master.

One of the cures he liberated from Kabuto's laboratory prior to his departure just so happened to be the cure to the Black Spider. While the cure itself was also considered to be toxic it provided an interesting benefit. Made from the normally deadly and exceptionally rare Shrine of Hana flower it served as a cure to the Black Spider.

It could only be ingested when poisoned by the Spider but not only cured the poor victim but made them immune to the poison entirely for the rest of their life.

But therein lay two problems.

The cure was in a satchel of medicines he carried with him… in his saddlebags. Kamui was an intelligent beast and the horse was certainly wise enough to stay put inside of the cave until the storm died down.

The cure was with the horse and the horse was in the cave. The cave that was currently more than a few hundred feet above from them with a rough rock wall and a strong sandstorm swirling around them like a spectre of death, waiting to take their lives and claim their souls.

The other problem was troubling on a tactical level.

 _I only have one dose… and I've never been poisoned by the Black Spider before._

Sasuke gritted his teeth in frustration as the poison tendrils seemed to pulse before growing thicker and no doubt, spreading their taint further into the little girl's flesh.

 _I guess there's no choice then is there?_

Removing the poncho entirely Sasuke braced against the sand, the heat and the roaring wind and proceeded to wrap the garment around Himawari, making sure to cover her face so that she would not drown in sand and flying shards of stone.

Reaching for the small of his back he withdrew his water canteen. His head tilted downwards to avoid some of the punishment being dished out by the weather, Sasuke then moved to carefully unscrew the lid with his teeth and poured some of the vital liquid into Himawari's slightly open mouth which he uncovered awkwardly with his pinkie finger.

 _Definitely didn't think this through._

The girl needed the water from the looks of it or she wouldn't even make it to the cave.

 _I'm really not going to like this next part._ Sasuke thought to himself even as he placed the canteen back and pushed himself to his knees.

 _No point in putting it off._

With a deep breath and a grimace of determination the Sharingan-wielder grabbed his dislocated arm and with a swift and sickening 'crack', forced the limb back into place.

It was not a pleasant affair and his roar of agony for one brief moment drowned out even the storm.

* * *

 _In Konoha_

Hinata awoke with a start, her body drenched in cold sweat and her eyes wide with terror and grief. Only a single word seemed to escape her lips.

Not a spoken word but one that her lips moved to form nonetheless. Perhaps it would have been more fitting to call it a silent prayer more than anything else.

" _Himawari…"_

The room was dark without a single source of continuous light to comfort her. There was a storm outside though, Hinata could hear the thunder boom every few seconds or so and she knew without a doubt that her son was sitting on the edge of his bed despite the late hour, watching and listening to the weather as it played out like a theater performance just outside his window.

Boruto enjoyed the weather just like Naruto. Not at all like herself though… not at all like her daughter either. Whenever the weather took a turn for the worse and the lightning began to streak across the sky Himawari would run to her parents' room and crawl up between them under the sheets.

Naruto would laugh, azure eyes ablaze with merriment even as mother and daughter hugged each other tightly and quivered in childish fear.

Now there was only silence when it stormed, save for the reminder it brought with it. The reminder of her failure as a ninja and as a mother.

When the storms came, she could feel that old tingling sensation. From her belly button to her shoulder, a dull pain emanating from the scar that now marred her body. Faint though it was it would never truly fade.

Somedays she could still feel the enemy blade carving its way through her. She could still feel Himawari's blood running between her fingers as she tried to keep her daughter in this world. She felt the anguish and the rage flowing through her veins and throughout her soul as her child was snatched from her arms never to be seen again.

 _We should never have gone on that journey._

She felt her husband's presence several moments before lightning streaked across the sky once more, illuminating the room briefly and her husband as well.

"Naruto?" She asked softly, her voice gentle and kind as she took in his slumped shoulders and hung head.

 _Not today then._

Raising his head to look at her, Hinata's heart almost broke. No longer did his eyes shine with merriment as they used to. Instead they were filled with tears and regret of things in the past. Getting out of their bed she moved swiftly towards him and embraced her beloved tightly, her head against his chest.

"It's okay." She told him softly, her hand reaching up to stroke his sun-kissed hair in a soothing motion. The Hokage buried himself in her shoulder before his arms raised up to return her embrace.

"I still can't find her." Naruto whispered, his voice containing a level of fear that had never been heard before by anyone other than her.

"You will though." Hinata reassured him, her voice filled with the same hidden strength that made him fall in love with her to begin with.

"I wasn't strong enough, I should've…", his doubts were cut short as Hinata gave his hair a soft but firm tug in reprimand.

Taking his hands in hers Hinata led him to their bed and sat them both down. Lightning flashed and Naruto's eyes widened as Hinata's glared at him with tears in her eyes.

"You did nothing wrong! It wasn't your fault Naruto-kun!" She told him fiercely, furious that he would even contemplate such a notion.

The two sat in silence for a time the both of them lost in their own thoughts and feelings. Releasing a shuddering breath Naruto eventually lay down on the bed and Hinata followed suit hugging him tightly.

"Do you think she's still alive?" He asked the question so softly the Hyuuga almost didn't hear it over the thunder.

Smiling sadly, Hinata reached up and affectionately stroked one of his 'whisker' marks. She wished with all her heart that she could bleed her own conviction into him as well.

"Our daughter is strong Naruto-kun. I may not know where she is but I can feel her in my heart… Himawari lives."

"Tomorrow then. I'll find her tomorrow I promise."

Every day since that fateful day the Hokage had made his wife this promise. Every day he broke his promise to her and that night renewed it. And every night Hinata forgave him not just with her words but with her heart. She did this because she knew that someday Naruto would succeed and bring Himawari home to them.

Because just like her, Naruto never went back on his word.

* * *

 _In Whittlebone Pass_

Sasuke Uchiha was not a happy man at that moment.

To be fair no one in their right mind who knew the first thing about the Uchiha would ever think to say that he was anything but an unhappy individual.

But today was an abnormal day and it would be safe to say that today of all days was an _especially_ shitty day for the Wandering Ninja.

Of all the things that happened to him so far in the past twenty-four hours, from unwanted baggage to death duels and the dislocating of his shoulder and the monstrous sandstorm, this latest problem just served to be the cherry on top of the cake that was his shitty day.

He couldn't walk up the canyon sides. The storm either blew him straight off and when it didn't it served to mess with his chakra rhythm meaning that he couldn't adhere to the side of the rock either. The swirling sand beneath his feet and against the rock kept disrupting the chakra balance he tried to establish under the soles of his feet.

Looking down at Himawari in his arms only served to increase Sasuke's ire with his luck. She was getting much worse far too quickly.

 _I need to get up there now!_

Abandoning his efforts to scale the wall in his usual fashion the Uchiha decided it was time to employ more primitive methods. He spent a few moments moulding his chakra appropriately before releasing it and sure enough the mighty form of Susanoo took shape around them.

Gripping Himawari tightly to his chest the Uchiha's feet left the ground as Susanoo ascended. The cave was some distance above them but unfortunately using Susanoo's wings would have been a fatal error. With the storm around them the mighty chakra construct would have been thrown around like a ragdoll if it attempted to flap its wings.

So instead Susanoo reached forward and began to climb. It used the numerous pathways along the canyon as ledges and, where none were to be found, smashed its fingertips into the hard stone to make handholds.

Their ascension was slow but they were making progress and in no more than half an hour Sasuke landed safely on their original path, banishing the purple chakra as his feet touched solid ground once more.

Wasting no time the Uchiha made his way into the cave. Kamui seemed rather unsurprised at his rushed reappearance and let out a soft snort of greeting before finally closing her eyes and falling asleep, comforted now that her master had returned.

Sasuke gently placed Himawari down against the cave wall before making his way over to his horse. Giving Kamui a quick brush along her mane the man began searching his saddlebags for the satchel containing the medicine.

A noise from behind him drew his attention and the Uchiha cursed violently. The girl was convulsing wildly and foam was beginning to appear at her mouth. The poison was about to enter her heart and if that happened…

 _Then I'll be waiting out this storm trapped in a cave with a horse and a child's corpse for company. Where is it?!_

Finally, it seemed a ray of luck shone briefly on him as Sasuke found the satchel's strings and roughly pulled the item out of its hiding place. Even as he ran over to Himawari's writhing form, the shinobi reached inside and pulled the antidote from its holder before dropping the satchel.

It was getting bad.

 _She may have only a minute or two left at best._

Dropping to his knees, Sasuke slid the remaining distance to catch the Hyuuga as her convulsions caused her to fall to the side. Tearing out the cork stopper with his teeth, Sasuke forced her mouth open with his free hand, wiping away the froth in the process and proceeded to pour the contents of the potion down her throat.

The violent jerking of her body continued for a few moments before slowly subsiding, Himawari's head falling limply to the side.

Sasuke held his breath without realising it even as he rested two fingers against her throat.

 _There!_

It was weak but there was a pulse. Reaching down he lifted her shirt to check the state of the Black Spider tendrils. Slowly, he took off his forehead wrappings and wound them around the girl's waist to provide a temporary binding for her wound.

Finally, the Uchiha released his breath and sat back against the stone, closing his eyes from exhaustion. The tendrils were still there but were already beginning to recede when he looked at them.

 _That was far too close_. He thought to himself wryly.

With that Sasuke Uchiha, Master of the Black Flame, let out a soft chuckle before slipping away into exhausted sleep and with Himawari in a similar state, her head resting in his lap.

* * *

Well there you have it guys! The next chapter in Those Who Are Lost.

To **Darth Lelouch** I say this: This story will be a family/drama/action/adventure story. I was heavily inspired to write this after seeing Logan and Sword of the Stranger and hope to give it a similar theme to those two masterpieces. (And thank you for your lovely review)

That being said though if this story does well enough I am planning on writing a sequel in which there will be romance between Sasuke and another character from the Narutoverse.

If anyone wants to take a guess as to who I would pick for this role then feel free to send me a review or a PM. If you're right maybe I'll give you a call out in the next chapter ;)

I will unavailable to write in the next chapter for the next two weeks though as I have several exams in that timeframe. Please forgive me!

Please send me a review if you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews are motivation which means I write chapters with more gusto and post them sooner ;)

P.S. I wonder how mean I'm being dropping all these story hints as to what happened to Himawari and Sasuke individually so that they were where they were when they met?

Oh wait... I am evil. :)

See you next time.

No idea what to call the next chapter yet.


	10. Waiting Out The Storm

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 10

Waiting out the Storm

* * *

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! I told you guys I'd be back didn't I? ;)

Sorry to have kept you waiting but I am still writing exams and was only able to write this little by little in my spare time.

A gracious thanks to all those who have reviewed this story so far. It warms the heart to hear from you and really motivated me to get this to you guys as soon as possible.

Thanks also to all those who have taken the time to read this story the traffic has been unbelievable on it and I'm so happy.

Now then enough of my senseless prattling and on to the story!

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

 ** _Whittlebone Canyon_**

Himawari wasn't sure of many things in her life. She didn't know her past or why she was the way she was. The girl didn't know how she came to be so injured or why there were so many people after her or why they were killing those who were in their way in order to do so but there was one thing that the Hyuuga was certain off beyond any shadow of doubt.

She was sore all over.

Her empty eye socket felt like someone had stuck a needle into it, stirred it around and then punched said instrument through the socket and into her brain. Her throat was as dry as sandpaper and her clothes were damp with sweat.

 _What happened to me? The last thing I remember…_ What was the last thing she remembered?

Keeping still and her good eye closed Himawari focused on what little memory she possessed and thankfully an image started to form. She remembered resting against Sasuke's back because she was tired, more tired than she had ever remembered being in her life. She remembered seeing the gargantuan entrance to Whittlebone Canyon and their entry into one of its passages.

The rest of it was all a blur and sharp pains resonated throughout her skull when she tried too hard to remember the rest.

Her body was cold and resting on something hard. Whatever the surface was it was not the most comfortable thing and made her body ache dully. Thankfully the ache and stiffness were more annoying than painful. Whatever her head was rested upon was soft though.

She couldn't tell much about it other than it was made of some thick material but pliant as well, her head sinking into it comfortably.

But above all else at the moment she was cold and Himawari couldn't help but shiver. There was this constant whistling noise close by that only served to aggravate her headache further and she winced whenever the sound raised and lowered its pitch at random.

Above the din of the whistling sounds she could discern the sounds of someone close by. She smelled burning wood and heard the sounds of shuffling, tired feet across stone.

"You're awake." Himawari could only give a slight nod in response to Sasuke's observation wincing as she did so.

Absently she noted the sound of him moving next to her and felt his hand place itself on her forehead. Removing the appendage, he seemed to move away from her once again.

"Your temperature has dropped so that's a good sign at least." Sasuke informed her, fiddling around inside of the medicinal satchel and let out an annoyed snort when he couldn't immediately find what he was looking for. "You'll be fine I think, you're just dehydrated."

Locating his prize Sasuke shuffled around for a few minutes before he returned to her side.

 _I wish he'd make less noise._ Himawari thought to herself silently, each sound like someone tapping a dull kunai into her brain.

"Drink this." Sasuke ordered firmly, placing the rim of a simple wooden cup against her lips. Himawari really didn't think that she had the strength to defy him and so she readily complied.  
Whatever it was smelled horrible, like raw sewage and tasted similarly as well.

 _This is poison!_ Himawari thought as she bolted up after her first swallow, eye now wide open and glaring.

Inconveniently the Uchiha had placed himself within her blind spot and when she turned her head to face him she was rewarded with blinding pain and flashes of white covering her remaining field of vision. Sasuke for his part merely raised an eyebrow in amusement at the girl's reaction.

"What the hell is this!?" She demanded furiously, her tiny form trembling from rage now rather than the cold as Sasuke couldn't prevent a small chuckle from escaping him.

"Medicine." He told her in between chuckles while his hands made their way in front of her eye, working quickly to cover her form with a thick blanket.

"What's in it?" Himawari asked eyeing the black liquid within the cup suspiciously.

Sasuke let a snort of amusement escape from him as he remembered the first time he had taken Kakashi's signature 'Hangover Elixir'.

"Trust me when I say that you really don't know. Just make sure you drink it all. If it helps then pinch your nose and try to down it in one go."

The amnesiac girl wasn't entirely too sure of the quality of his advice but for lack of a better option decided to risk it. Taking a deep breath and shutting her eye she tipped back the cup and began to chug the concoction within as quickly as possible.

It felt like she had swallowed a bucketful of slugs and now the things were crawling around in her intestines.

Sasuke couldn't help the smirk from appearing on his face.

 _Reminds me of my first swig of the stuff._

Taking note of her now green complexion the Uchiha moved back just in case she couldn't hold her drink down.

"Don't throw it up." He warned her "Else you'll have to drink another."

Himawari's eye teared up as she began a violent coughing fit instead, slapping her chest a few times in an effort to keep her composure.

"You think it's bad now you should've tasted it before I began adding sweetener." Sasuke informed her with a shudder as he made his way over to the other side of the fire.

 _It was a good call to put supplies for a fire like this in a sealing scroll._

Seating himself down on the ground, the Uchiha leaned back against Kamui who had long since fallen asleep. If the steed had any issue with the added weight on her stomach she chose not to show it save for a short snort before falling silent once more. Sasuke for his part let himself relax and enjoy the motions caused by Kamui's breathing.

"Your horse…" Himawari began to say but cut herself off halfway through. Sasuke raised an eyebrow in response, curious now as to what she wanted to say.

"What about my horse?" He pressed. The Hyuuga bit her lip in thought for a while before deciding to answer him.

"You're a shinobi… why do you need a horse?" Her voice was small and came out as more of a squeak. Instead of being offended the Uchiha closed his eyes and smiled softly.

"Kamui was a gift from my sensei."

Himawari found herself becoming more aware and she slowly sat up, making sure to grab the poncho she had been using as a pillow and covered herself with the garb. The material had a slight, scratchy quality when it pressed against her bare skin but she found that the warmth that the poncho provided against the cold air to be a suitable trade-off.

Her eye remained trained on her companion as she waited for further explanation on the matter. For a minute, it seemed as if that was all that the Uchiha had to say on the matter but then he continued to speak.

"I was never very good at sticking around when it came to my home village. It was a quality that never sat well with my teammates and I upset them both more than a few times whenever I… displayed that quality." Though it seemed on the surface to be a casual declaration, Himawari couldn't help but notice some underlying emotion as well. It seemed familiar but she couldn't quite place it.

"When I left for the last time my sensei met me at the gates" Sasuke couldn't help the smile that graced his lips at the memory of Kakashi standing at the gates, holding Kamui by the reigns and rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. The smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and the Uchiha continued.

"He told me I would always need a friend out there on the road."

Himawari cocked her head at him curiously. It seemed like there was more that the Uchiha wanted to say about his sensei but he didn't know how to say it. Deciding to take the initiative she pressed him for more.

"It seemed like a nice thing for him to do." It almost seemed the wrong thing to say as the man barked a short laugh in reply.

Sasuke reached out and patted Kamui's neck affectionately. "I didn't want her. Flat out refused and began walking away until Kakashi caught up with me. The man had to practically force the reigns into my hands and make me promise to keep the beast."

"So why did you end up taking her?" Himawari asked now genuinely curious.

Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say as Sasuke fists clenched angrily before he lifted his head and glared at her. "You ask too many questions Himawari." He growled before letting his head fall back again.

Immediately Himawari shut her mouth, heat flooding her cheeks in shame for annoying the man who had saved her life several times now. Unconsciously she began to shiver as a gust of wind blew briefly into the cave. Eyeing the fire and Sasuke's prone form, the Hyuuga's eye narrowed and she got to her feet slowly but determinedly.

Sasuke paid no mind to the girl or the shuffling of her feet across the rocky cave surface. He of all people knew the restlessness that came with recovery and that the simple act of walking around slowly could do much to help clear one's mind.

Which is why he was so caught off guard by what happened next. It took all he had not to jump to his feet and despite this his body jerked upwards slightly as he felt the girl fall to the ground next to him and lean herself against his side.

Looking at the girl with mild irritation he took note of her shivering form and decided not to say anything. Himawari gripped the poncho tightly and burrowed into the man's side, too tired and cold to feel embarrassed at the situation.

"I'm cold and you're warm." She told him shortly and that seemed to be the only explanation that he was going to receive.

 _He tries anything funny or says something weird then I'm going to show him just how hard a little girl can hit._

The Uchiha's gaze lingered on her tiny form curiously for a few moments before he replied with a nonchalant 'Hn' and closed his eyes. "Sleep well Himawari, we'll talk more in the morning."

* * *

 _ **In Konoha**_

If someone had told Hinata Uzumaki exactly how her day was going to turn out then she would've jumped out of bed and run to the village gates immediately.

Unfortunately, that wasn't quite how life worked. Instead her day began with a phone call from Naruto's teammate, Sakura Haruno, who wanted to invite her over for tea around noon. Seeing no reason to decline Hinata softly accepted before preparing herself for the day.

She began to perform her usual morning routine; waking Naruto up with a soft kiss and a soft 'good morning' so that her husband could begin to get himself ready for his daily responsibilities as Hokage. Next the two would shower and dress before Naruto began preparations to head out for the Hokage tower to continue to tackle the day-to-day running of the village in the form of a never-ending stack of paperwork.

The Uzumaki matriarch for her would then wake up her son, who was only too eager to get out of the house and meet up with his team. Boruto's relationship with his father had been strained before Himawari's disappearance but now that she was gone…

Hinata could feel her chest tightening as a sharp pain tore through her heart whenever the thought crossed her mind.

Her son believed his little sister to be dead and his father the one to blame. The two rarely spoke anymore and the young Uzumaki seemed to take any chance he could get to get away from the Hokage residence.

Shaking herself from her stupor, Hinata hurried about to complete certain chores such as making breakfast, an awkward affair for the men of the family, prepare their lunch bento boxes, see them off and ensure that everything around their home that needed to be taken care of was. By the time she was done, Hinata looked up at the clock and noticed that it was almost time to meet Sakura and so the woman left the building, locking it behind her and began making her way across town to the Haruno home.

It took her some time as the new village had been greatly expanded over the old one. The former Hyuuga felt no immediate need to rush despite the time and instead chose to enjoy the trip, greeting those she knew on the street politely as she passed by and making small conversations with old friends where she encountered them.

Nevertheless the mother found herself in front of Sakura's front door and with a small breath to centre herself she rang the door and waited with her hands folded behind her back. Sure, enough she heard a muffled "Coming!" from inside and the sound of several locks being undone.

The door opened and Hinata's eyes widened in mild surprise. She hadn't expected to be met by _her_ at this time of the day but after a moment to recover Hinata smiled warmly.

"Hello Sarada."

* * *

It was early when Himawari woke, beams of grey sunlight streaming in from the cave entrance and the smell of ash thick in the air from the now long dead fire. With a yawn, the young girl rose to her feet and began a series of stretches to relieve some of the tension in her muscles that had been built up, a consequence of the last few weeks rigours and adventures.

Her eyepatch felt uncomfortable itchy this morning so she decided to take it off for a while letting out a small sigh of relief as the socket was met with the open air.

Becoming more aware of her surroundings she noticed that she was entirely alone and without Sasuke's poncho which she had worn the night before. Confusedly Himawari took note that at some point her human pillow had been replaced with her backpack. Both Sasuke and the horse were nowhere to be found and for the briefest moment Himawari began to panic. The thought flitted across her mind that Sasuke had decided that she was too much trouble and had gone on his way. Thankfully her panic abated when she took note of the horse's saddlebags resting up against one of the cave walls, originally hidden in her blind field of view and to which Himawari couldn't help but curse once more her disability.

Hearing footsteps behind her she spun around to face the cave entrance only to see Sasuke leading Kamui back into the cave.

The Uchiha took in her missing eye without a blink before guiding Kamui over to the saddlebags.

"It's good that you're up. Go and relieve yourself now if you need to, we'll be heading out soon and there will be no stops for a while." He told her bluntly even as he made his way over to the saddlebags to begin strapping the gear to Kamui.

Himawari's jaw felt like it had fallen to the floor and she could almost feel her face turn scarlet. The poor girl tried speaking a few times but only managed an enraged squeak which served to only make her madder. Finally, she managed to get her tongue and throat working again cohesively and some of the blackest filth she had ever heard from Kouda, she repeated to Sasuke hoping to generate some sort of shamed response.

Unfortunately, his eyebrows merely raised slightly and he replied with another simple 'Hn'.

The Uchiha for his part found this to be highly amusing and turned back to Kamui to hide the small smile that graced his features. It had been a long time since he had done that to someone.

A silence fell between them as Sasuke continued to prepare his gear for the journey ahead and Himawari occupied herself with studying her surroundings and doing her best to cool off. Unfortunately, her anger seemed to have no effect other than amusement on the man which in turn served to aggravate herself even further.

That was until she noticed something peculiar. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something glint upon the shinobi's person. Stubbornly she forced herself not to look but as the minutes started to tick by in silence her curiosity grew.

Thankfully Sasuke remained seemingly unaware of her struggle as she found herself drawn to whatever it was she had seen like a magpie.

Finally, Himawari could take it no more and practically spun around on the spot. It was difficult to make out from between the gaps in Sasuke's poncho but the shape of it looked familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before. It took her a few moments but finally she made the connection and her eye widened in shock and terror.

It was a headband. One an awful lot like the one she had seen on the monster whose life she had taken.

"You have a headband." Himawari managed to whisper, unable to keep the fear from flooding her tone. Sasuke went unnaturally still for a moment before patting the object once and resuming his work.

"I do." He told her, his voice giving nothing away. Himawari on the other hand had already begun to back away from him and towards the entrance of the cave.

"A-are you g-going to kill m-me?" She mumbled numbly, her mouth dry and her tongue numb all of a sudden. The Uchiha merely snorted before tightening one final strap and turning to face her, his expression unreadable.

"What are you talking about kid?" He asked her monotonously.

"You have a headband, one that looks just like theirs!" Himawari accused, feeling bold in the face of Sasuke's nonplussed reaction.

The Uchiha's look turned from one of blank marble to that of mild confusion before his eyes widened ever so slightly as he figured out what was happening. Reaching beneath his poncho he untied his hitai-ate before lifting it up to show to her.

"You mean this thing?" Sasuke asked her in confirmation.

Himawari couldn't make out the symbol on the headband from where she was and with her singular vision but she could make out that there was _something_ engraved on the metal and that was good enough for her.

"Y-yes" She replied, cursing herself internally as the stutter returned to her speech. The shinobi remained unconvinced and let out a small sigh.

"Here." He told her, throwing the hitai-ate to her. Himawari was caught off guard and while she managed to catch it with only a slight fumble she also let out a surprised squeak at the action. Feeling her cheeks begin to heat up she focused instead on the headband in her hand.

Upon closer inspection, she found the symbol wasn't a musical note like the ones held by her pursuers. What she found was something else entirely. The engraving was some kind of spiral with a diagonal line at the top of it and a small triangle at the opposite, bottom corner.

Himawari found that if she tilted her head slightly it reminded her of a snail. What really caught her eye though was the long, jagged line running horizontally from one end of the band to the other straight through the symbol.

Sasuke made his way over to her, slowly so as not to startle her. "It's the symbol of the leaf. Konohagakure is my home village." He explained to her.

 _This symbol… why do I know this symbol?_ Himawari couldn't help but think to herself.

Her head hurt terribly all of a sudden even as she stared dazedly at the leaf engraving. Taking note of her state Sasuke moved to intervene. Covering the symbol with his hand he gently took repossession of his hitai-ate, snapping Himawari out of her daze in the process, and reattached the memento to his hip followed by patting it once to ensure it remained secure.

Himawari said nothing as the headband was hidden from sight once more by the long coverall. She remained silent and deep in thought even as she followed the last Uchiha to Kamui who was now whinnying, impatient to get some exercise.

Sasuke grabbed a hold of the saddle and was just about to hoist himself up when Himawari decided to speak.

"Who are you?"

Sasuke stilled once more. For a few moments, the Uchiha did nothing except consider the implications of her words and what it was the girl was really asking. Who was he?

It was a far more difficult question than it appeared to be and several potential answers flitted across his mind.

 _Orphan_

 _Loner_

 _Shinobi_

 _Traitor_

 _Avenger_

 _Monster_

 _Villain_

 _Lost_

 _Brother_

 _Hero_

 _Father_

 _Wanderer_

His life had been long and he had done much, going through so much that while it was true that he was all of these things and probably more none seemed to fit as an answer to her question. That was until one more thought crossed his mind. It was simple and perfect. A word that described him perfectly and would tell the girl all she needed to know.

Sasuke's head tilted back to look at her.

"I'm a survivor."

Himawari was taken aback briefly before her eye narrowed and she matched his stare. Taking a deep breath, she decided to take the plunge.

"Teach me."

* * *

Well there you go! I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to be back up and writing normally again sometime next week with another chapter shortly after.

I know I cut off Hinata's story pretty quickly but it must be remembered that the focus of this story is on Himawari and Sasuke. As such all the other characters who are written about serve as a side-story so to speak in order to reveal things about the history of the world and what has changed. It also serves to show what is going on in the minds of Himawari's family.

Pretty please leave me a review if you like it.

Until next time!


	11. The Meaning Of Family

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 11

The Meaning of Family

* * *

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! It seems that I was visited by a troll last chapter (Oh my stars and garters!) 😉

Well I can honestly say that I was just a tad hurt. Perhaps because it's my first ever flamer (also strangely honoured.). All I can say to my anonymous guest reviewer is this: Before you start quoting canon as an insult perhaps you should google what a fanfiction is.

If you wish to provide criticism then awesome, it can help my writing otherwise if you're going to flame then please get an account and we can have a lively PM debate as Naruto fans (which could be kind of fun! I love debates!).

To all my readers, new and old, I wish to say thank you for the continued support and please don't hesitate to point out any inconsistencies or mistakes in my story (I want this to be a good piece of fanfiction).

Apologies for the long delay, I was bogged down with work, exams and various technical issues.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are both the property of the legendary Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

 ** _The Desert of the Wind_**

The past two days trekking through the immense desert that covered the majority of the land of Wind had been… difficult and tiring to say the least. Himawari had proven to be an exceptionally quick study and seemed to master the basic chakra techniques in just a few hours, a discovery which greatly surprised the Uchiha though he did not show it. It took her just a few hours before she was able to keep a piece of parchment stuck to her forehead for a little over a minute using only her chakra.

By all standards she was a prodigy.

 _'It's possible that she received some prior training.'_ The thought came unbidden but the more he dwelled on it the more Sasuke found that the idea wasn't just plausible but likely as well.

During their journey Sasuke continued to consult his journals and maps of the area. The Uchiha had only been through the great desert a few times before and the need to make sure that they were still on course was imperative. Wandering off the beaten path, so to speak, in this place would only result in a slow and painful death from dehydration and heat exhaustion. It was far too easy to lose one's way in the desolate wasteland that stretched around them.

According to his maps, Corsair's Oasis was only a few miles away.

It was a hidden gem smackdab in the middle of the desert, one that he had discovered through one of his old contacts in Suna. The Oasis had once served as an old smuggler's pit stop and cache now reclaimed by nature as the oasis fell into disuse as the years went by. It had been in a sorry state ever since Gaara Subaku had initiated a purge of the Smuggler's Guild at the start of his reign as Kazekage.

Himawari's gasp of surprise as the oasis finally came into view was enjoyable to watch and a small smile threatened to tug at the corner of his lips. Composing himself and spurring Kamui forwards they made their way to the hideaway.

The oasis was truly a miracle of nature, small as it was. Sand turned to lush, green grass and Himawari almost sighed in pleasure at the sound of wind rustling through the leaves of the various palm trees that were dotted throughout the oasis. At its center lay a large shimmering pool of water, the sun seeming to sparkle off the surface like diamons and Himawari fidgeted in the saddle, clearly eager to take a dip into the water's cool depths. Sasuke said nothing about this and maintained his stoic composure as he dismounted and led Kamui to the water to take a drink.

 _This day… it wasn't so bad._

Perhaps it was the relief brought on by the shade or the sight of Himawari bounding forward to run along the water's edge, giggling as she did so.

 _She's so young..._

* * *

 _ **The De** **sert of the Wind- Corsair's Oasis**_

"Rub your chest." Sasuke told her absently as he turned the makeshift spit over, allowing for the pair of rabbits skewered upon the piece of wood to cook through from the other side. There was always food in the desert if one knew where to look. He could hear the sound of Himawari's teeth chattering, drowning out the usual sounds of the night. Staring at her, the shinobi remembered how the Hyuuga had ended up in such an amusing state.

After they had settled the Uchiha had decided to test the little Hyuuga's skill and began showing her how to apply chakra to the soles of her feet correctly to be able to adhere to different surfaces such as the side of a tree or, in this case, the water of the pool. She had spent half of the day learning to walk up the side of a nearby palm tree before attempting to cross the body of water.

To be fair Sasuke had been impressed as she had made it a full three, albeit shaky, steps across the water's surface before she dropped like a rock with a yelp and a splash.

It was the first time since he was a child that the Uchiha had let out a full-blown laugh.

Now the pair found themselves seated in front of the fire, a very drenched Hyuuga child wrapped in a blanket and shaking like a leaf in the wind and one smirking Uchiha sitting on the opposite side of their campfire.

"W-w-w-w-what?" Himawari managed to stutter out while rubbing her arms furiously in an attempt to stop her bout of uncontrollable shivering. Clearly, she didn't understand his instruction and so he decided to reiterate.

Finished for now with their dinner Sasuke looked at her directly this time.

"Rub. Your. Chest." He emphasized, continuing to speak before the child could retort in some manner. "It's where most of your body heat is contained, your arms will look after themselves."

Too cold to argue and not trusting her speech as it was the Hyuuga nodded minutely before doing as he instructed. Sasuke bobbed his head slightly in satisfaction before returning his attention to their meal preparations.

 _'Not so bad at all.'_ Sasuke thought to himself, his eyes crinkling in amusement at the unmistakable sound of a stomach grumbling. The girl let out a small 'eep' before hiding her face behind her knees.

 _A_ _nd here I thought there was only one shy Hyuuga._

The next few minutes passed between them with a comfortable silence before he heard her small voice speak out.

"Is it ready yet?" Himawari asked meekly poking her forefingers together nervously.

Sasuke grunted, lifting one of the skewers out of the fire pit before reaching over to offer it to her. Himawari wasted no time in snatching the offering from his grasp and, in a remarkably un-Hyuuga-like fashion began tearing into the meat with a kind of voracious hunger that reminded him of Naruto.

 _'Or an Akimichi. If that Choji fellow were here I'm sure he'd be impressed.'_

"Slow down or you'll choke and I don't know much first aid." It was a small lie but it served its purpose as Himawari actually took the time to chew her food before swallowing it.

 _'I'm going to hazard a guess and say she likes my cooking.'_ Sasuke thought to himself, observing the massive grin that graced the tiny Hyuuga's face as she gorged herself.

 _'Wonder how long it's been since she's kept to a steady diet?'_ This thought was unwelcome as he took in the child's thin frame. At the time, he hadn't paid much attention to it but when he looked back on it now…

When checking the progress of the poison her ribs had been showing through… It wasn't a good sign. Grabbing his own rabbit from the fire the Uchiha pushed such thoughts from his mind and began to eat as well.

He turned his gaze upwards and took in the tranquility of the stars as the two of them ate in silence. In the end, the Uchiha was content after eating only a quarter of his kill and so, with the intention of storing the surplus in a scroll for later, rose to his feet and made to procure the item from one of the saddlebags.

He had only begun to undo one of the straps when he felt a small tug on the end of his poncho. Looking back, he saw Himawari standing awkwardly behind him, her eye's gaze affixed firmly to the skewer in his free hand.

"What is it?" He asked her shortly, her shyness beginning to grate on him after the events of the day. At least she was dry now. In the moonlight, he could make out just the slightest hint of red dusting the Hyuuga's cheeks.

"Can I have it?" She mumbled, pointing at the rabbit shyly. Sasuke hesitated for a split second before handing it over to Himawari with a small 'Hn'. Immediately the girl's demeanor brightened and she practically snatched the thing from his hand before skipping back to the fireplace, humming some tune to herself as she did so.

' _I guess she's warm again.'_

Shaking his head, the ninja walked back over to the fire pit and lay down on the ground, arms behind his head and gazed at the heavens once more. He remained like that until he heard Himawari throw away the last bone and let out a satisfied sigh.

Getting to his feet with a small heave Sasuke made his way over to his supplies and removed a small jar from the medicine satchel before heading to the girl who sat propped up against her backpack. She eyed him curiously as he knelt down next to her.

"I need to check the injury" He told her pointing at her side as he spoke. Himawari nodded slowly before lifting her arm to allow him access to the area.

Gently the Uchiha lifted the hem of her shirt taking care to lift the apparel only as far as was necessary to expose her bandaged side. It seemed his head wrappings were doing a good job of keeping the salve he had originally applied to the wound in place. Carefully, he undid the wrappings and wiped away the salve, taking a closer look at the injury.

As he worked he could feel Himawari gaze at him from the corner of her eye. Pausing for a moment to look at her he quirked an eyebrow in question but the girl didn't shy away from the attention.

"What is it?" Sasuke asked shortly feeling oddly uncomfortable under her gaze. Himawari said nothing at first, having a moment of internal conflict of how she wanted to word her question. Shaking her head Himawari decided that a blunt approach might be best.

"Why did you help me? The real reason."

To say that it was expected wouldn't have been the truth. Sasuke hesitated before continuing to wipe away traces of the salve with the wrappings.

"Does it matter?" He asked curiously. Himawari seemed to think on it for a moment before nodding decidedly.

"Maybe it's because you remind me of me." Sasuke answered simply with a shrug of his shoulders.

"How so?" The Hyuuga pressed.

"When I was around your age I may have known my name and where I came from but I didn't know who I really was." Himawari looked at him in confusion as he said this but chose to remain silent, waiting for him to continue. "I chose the wrong path so many times. Eventually, one really annoying idiot I know set me straight though it certainly wasn't for lack of trying on his part."

"So, you're helping me because I remind you of you?" She sounded uncertain and confused and so the Uchiha decided to elaborate further.

"I'm helping you because it's what the idiot would do."

"What was the 'idiot's' name?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." Saying the name still made his lip curl slightly in distaste. As much as Naruto was his brother the baka still grated on his nerves.

"Isn't that a ramen topping?" Himawari queried with a finger to her lips as she tried to recall a picture from one of Kouda's cookbooks.

An image of Naruto swimming in a bowl of ramen with a massive grin on his face flitted across the Uchiha's mind. At this thought Sasuke let out a loud chuckle before abruptly and, uncharacteristically, slapping a hand over his mouth to cover the sound.

Himawari gazed at him, her eye wide in shock at the shinobi's reaction. Despite his best efforts Sasuke kept on letting loose quiet chuckles under his breath as he finished his initial work and took a closer look at Himawari's side.

The flesh had healed nicely though the skin was still raw and pink. A dark scab had formed where the kunai had sliced through Himawari's side. All things considered and taking into account that only a few days had passed since she had received the wound it was remarkable progress.

 _Guess she's a fast healer._

Removing the lid of the salve, Sasuke applied a fresh coat of balm before rebinding his head wrappings around her side once more.

' _I'll have to throw those away next time. Maybe buy some bandages next time we hit civilization.'_

The two of them said nothing as the shinobi performed his final acts. His task complete, Sasuke made his way over to the other side of the campfire and took up his usual resting spot against Kamui who had long since fallen asleep.

"Why are you so desperate to get to the Fire Temple?" He had meant to ask the question to himself but it came out loud enough that Himawari heard it and thought it was directed at her.

"The person who helped me after my accident… he said he knew someone at the temple who could tell me who my family is." Himawari explained.

Sasuke sat up at this and gave her a strange look, one that continued for several moments before he scoffed and lay back down again.

"You're an idiot." He told her simply as he settled himself more comfortably against Kamui's stomach. Instead of the outraged squeak that he had come to expect from the child, Himawari merely let out a small sigh.

"Why is that?" She asked eventually.

Sasuke for a moment looked as though he wanted to say something but then thought better of it. Shaking his head, he chose not to answer and instead lay back and closed his eyes preparing to sleep.

"Get some sleep girl. We've got a long journey tomorrow and we'll need all our strength."

Himawari snorted in annoyance but decided to do nothing about it and instead made herself comfortable as well.

* * *

 _It was this dream again. Strange. Then again, it's said variety is the flavor of life. If that was true then life was bitter._

…

 _She was so beautiful. Small and fragile in his arms but nevertheless beautiful to behold._

" _Sasuke?" Naruto called out to him, his voice unsure and containing a note of fear uncharacteristic of the blonde._

 _He remained unresponsive as the Uzumaki came to a stop standing over him. Sasuke took no notice of his friend though, his attention fixated only on the girl in his arms._

" _I'm sorry Sasuke." The words came from the mouth of his best friend but they sounded hollow to his ears._

 _Her tiny locks of pink hair sat gently upon her head and with her eyes closed she seemed to take on a serene expression even as she lay within his arms._

 _Father. It was a word he never thought he would have associated with himself but here he was._

 _His perfect little girl. His beautiful Mikoto Uchiha. Stillborn in his embrace and yet still so perfect._

 _Stillborn…_

" _Sasuke… I'm so sorry." Naruto tried again. It was clear from his voice that the future Hokage had no idea what to say._

 _To be fair what could someone say to him now that would mean anything?_

 _Sasuke only knew in that particular moment that he didn't care what the blonde idiot had to offer._

" _Save your apologies" Sasuke hissed tightening his grip on his daughter, still refusing to meet the Uzumaki's eyes but at least painfully aware of his presence._

" _Teme… we need to take it away… the nurses are too scared to come near you so they called me." Naruto told him with a hesitant and nervous laugh. This got the Uchiha's attention and Naruto found himself on the receiving end of a Sharingan and Rinnegan combo._

 _Scarlet and violet orbs glowed brilliantly in the dim lighting of the hospital doorway and the sight of it caused Naruto to freeze. He may be able to take Sasuke on in a straight fight but if the Uchiha were to barrage him with genjutsu then it could turn out to be a very different kind of battle. One that wouldn't necessarily end well for him._

" _Don't touch her!"_

" _I'm sorry Sasuke but this is for your own good." Naruto told him sadly before moving forward. Something struck Sasuke across the back of his head causing his vision to flash red. During this agony induced haze, the Uchiha lost his grip on Mikoto and in that moment Naruto snatched his baby girl and retreated a few steps._

" _Thanks, I owe you one." Naruto called out to his attacker over his shoulder before retreating hurriedly._

 _The knock to his head wasn't the only damage the blow seemed to have caused. Try as he might Sasuke found he couldn't move his body. He remained seated as he was unable to move save for his neck albeit with considerable effort._

 _Something had been done to his chakra network. It was sluggish and almost unresponsive to his will._

" _Never thought the great Sasuke Uchiha would be brought so low so easily." The words were directed at him almost conversationally. With great strain, the Avenger lifted his head to meet the gaze of his attacker who had since moved to stand in front of him._

 _Opal eyes stared back at him. She was young, looking as though she had barely hit her twenties and possessed slender features framed by long deep brown locks of hair. His eyes narrowed in recognition as he took another moment to study her features and identify his assailant._

 _Hinata's sister._

' _Hana? Hinaba?'_

'… _Hanabi.' That was it. It was definitely Hanabi._

 _Hanabi stared back at him, her eyes gleaming with some unknown anger and just a hint of arrogance. She lowered herself to better look at his sorry state, resting on her haunches and staring without fear directly into his eyes, now blazing scarlet._

" _You took my daughter from me." He spat to which the young woman responded by cocking her head and raising a single eyebrow._

" _It wasn't a baby. It was a corpse." She told him coldly. Sasuke could almost feel the rage coursing through his veins at this comment and his Sharingan began to morph into the Mangekyou form. This, sparked a nervous reaction from the Hyuuga as she stood up quickly and broke eye contact to focus on his forehead instead of his eyes._

" _Look traitor just calm do-" Hanabi began to say but the words were lost on deaf ears as the veil of pain and anger blinded him to almost everything._

" _I'm going to kill you." He promised her darkly. This caused her to shut up and Sasuke took a vicious pleasure in seeing her mouth open and shut wordlessly as she tried to formulate some sort of response. Not wanting to give her a chance he pressed on._

" _It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow but I promise you this. The next time we cross paths I am going to crush your heart in my hand."_

* * *

Sasuke woke up gasping and covered in a sweat despite the cool night air of the desert. Holding back the sob from escaping him he wiped away the cold sweat from his forehead. Frowning, the Uchiha looked at his hand and noticed that he had his hitai-ate gripped tightly to his chest.

"You had a dream?" Sasuke almost didn't hear Himawari speak over the sound of his own gasping but after taking a few moments to compose himself he looked at her. Himawari had lain close to the fire and a single azure orb looked at him with concern through the darkness and the flame.

Shaking his head Sasuke lay back down and gazed at the stars in the hopes that the image would help to soothe his troubled thoughts.

"A nightmare." He told her softly.

"Was it bad?" From the way she said it, it was clear that the girl didn't know quite what to say to him.

"Yes. It was very bad." He responded simply as he rubbed his temples in an attempt to clear away the bad thoughts zipping through his mind.

"You've had them every night since we started traveling." She informed him worriedly. Sasuke let out a humorless laugh at that one. Her concern was almost endearing.

"I have them every night. Have since I was a kid."

He could almost hear her index fingers poking together worriedly.

"That sounds bad." Himawari told him to which the ninja simply snorted in reply.

"It is what it is kid."

A long silence followed before Sasuke turned on his side and tried to fall asleep once more. Before he tried though he had one last thing to say to her.

"You're wrong about all of this." He told her.

"What do you mean?" She replied, her voice heavy with weariness.

"You don't need to spend your life searching for family. I've done it and it didn't help me in the slightest. It took me the longest time to figure out one simple truth."

"What truth is that?" Himawari didn't know why she asked. She didn't want to know but she couldn't bring herself to stop the man from saying what it was he wanted to say.

"That when you have no family it's up to you to find your new one. You choose your family from the people who mean the most to you." It was an odd thing to say but it made perfect sense. "Just remember Himawari. Even if you don't find your relatives it isn't the end."

"Family is a choice." Blood wasn't an exclusive factor of family.

Strangely, he meant every word. Naruto had become his brother, Kakashi his father and Sakura… Sakura had been something else entirely. At times, when he looked hard at Himawari's features he could see Naruto. It wasn't the whisker marks she possessed as while they were an uncommon sight they were hardly exclusive to the dobe. It was her eyes.

Bright blue and filled with a kind of pain he understood all too well. The pain of losing everything. For just a moment before he fell back into the oblivion of sleep he imagined that it was his daughter in Himawari's place. Onyx eyes gazing at him sleepily instead of a single azure one.

It was a comforting thought.

Himawari said something but he didn't hear it as exhaustion pulled him back into the world of nightmares.

* * *

Definitely not my best chapter but for some reason I really struggled to write this one. I kept putting it off and whenever I was in the mood to write I was never near my laptop.

As I said it is not my best work so I do plan on posting a remaster at a later date.

Hopefully you guys didn't mind it too much and are still willing to stick this story out with me 😉

As always a round of applause to all my usual readers and a warm welcome to all the new ones.

See you next time on Those Who Are Lost.


	12. Noodles

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 12

Noodles

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! It's been too long already but I felt bad about the long delay posting the last chapter so here's the next one for you guys and things are about to heat up soon. (Says the guy who posted late again 😉)

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are the respective properties of the almighty Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

 _ **In Konoha**_

It had been a few weeks since Hinata had last seen Sarada Haruno. The young girl had been away for a few weeks training to use her recently awakened Sharingan with Kakashi Hatake. While the man was no Uchiha he was the only option available at the moment and would at the very least be able to teach the girl the basics in controlling and using her bloodline.

At least until Sasuke returned from his… travels.

"Come on in Aunt Hina" Sarada implored of her warmly, opening the door wider and beckoning the former Hyuuga in with a wave of her hand and a smile on her face.

Nodding gently and returning the smile Hinata stepped over the threshold and into the home, patting Sarada's head gently in affection much to the young teenager's chagrin.

"Where's your mother?" Hinata asked as she bent down to remove her shoes before placing them off neatly to the side as was custom.

In direct contrast to Hinata's conduct, Sarada began putting her shinobi tabi on in preparation to go out. Given the way that she was constantly adjusting her headband at the same time it was probably a mission coming up.

 _'That would explain Boruto's rush to leave home this morning.'_

Since Himawari's disappearance her son had been burying himself in training and missions. It worried her and Naruto to no end but Kakashi assured them that it was Boruto's way of dealing with the loss of his little sister and that the best thing to do would be to do nothing. To let Boruto find his own way out of the darkness.

Hinata wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"She's in the kitchen I think?" Sarada answered before rushing out the door, apparently late for a team meeting or mission given the hurriedness of her departure.

"Bye Aunt Hina! Got to run or I'll be late!" Sarada threw over her shoulder in farewell before zipping down the street, kicking up a cloud of dust as she did so.

Shaking her head and with a small smile gracing her features, Hinata closed the door and moved deeper into the home in search of her friend. Gently rapping her knuckles on the wooden doorway to announce her presence, she stepped into the kitchen.

Sakura had her back to her, humming an unfamiliar tune as she stood in front of the kitchen sink washing the dishes from what appeared to be the breakfast rush.

"Hey Hinata. Won't you put on the kettle?" Sakura called out before resuming her duties. Mumbling out a soft 'hello' Hinata moved forward, coming to a stop next to the pinkette before flipping the switch to turn on the already full electric kettle.

Already familiar with the layout of the kitchen from previous visits, she reached up to one of the overhead cupboards and opened it briefly before withdrawing two mugs. The two of them worked in silence as Hinata mumbled an apology, reaching across Sakura to retrieve two teabags from their container before placing them into the mugs.

The tea needed time to steep and so Hinata leaned against the counter next to Sakura and waited for the woman to begin speaking.

It didn't take long.

"How have you been?" Sakura asked absently, still focused on the task before her. This sparked a series of casual exchanging of pleasantries between the two. Now waiting for the tea to finish steeping Hinata's eyes wandered across the room, taking in the details of the kitchen in order to pass the time trying to determine whether anything had changed since her last visit.

Her eyes snapped to the dining table which formed the centerpiece of the kitchen. On the tabletop was a sealed envelope. One which she was all too familiar with and despite herself, a wave of disappointment washed over her.

"You still haven't sent it." She chided Sakura.

The pinkette froze briefly before finishing up with the dishes even as the Uzumaki matriarch finished brewing the tea. Making their way to the table with mugs in hand, the two sat down in silence.

Hinata waited patiently for Sakura to reply, knowing that she would. The woman just needed time to gather her thoughts.

"I haven't." Sakura said finally, her tone meek and her eyes cast downwards, focusing on the tabletop intensely.

"He deserves to know about Sarada." Hinata recoiled slightly, surprised at the bitterness in her own voice as she said the words. Sakura noticed it too and she bristled defensively.

"She's my daughter." Sakura retorted, fingers gripping the mug between her hands tightly as she spoke the words.

Reaching over, Hinata gently placed her hand over Sakura's. "She's also his. He deserves to know about her… it's been long enough."

Sakura said nothing and continued to refuse to meet her gaze.

"I don't want to talk about it." She said finally and Hinata nodded, deciding that now wasn't the time to pressure the young woman.

The two of them had agreed months ago that it was time to inform her wayward husband of their daughter's existence.

The Uchiha had left little more than a decade prior, unknowing of the fact that his wife was pregnant once more. When Naruto had found out he had already been in the middle of drafting a letter to his friend before Sakura had stormed in, fist glowing blue with condensed chakra and more than ready to send him flying halfway to Suna.

The two had argued intensely and with such ferocity that those living several blocks away could've heard them. It took many hours and several interventions from Hinata and the Anbu before Naruto agreed to back down.

On one condition:

When Sarada came of age and activated her Sharingan then Sakura would send a letter to Sasuke. It was Naruto's hope that Sarada's existence would be enough to bring Sasuke home once and for all. Besides, Kakashi could only teach the girl so much regarding her doujutsu before she would need a master to teach her.

Sarada had activated her sharingan a week following her fifteenth birthday. While Sakura had written the letter, an act she had completed years ago, she had yet to send it to Sarada's wayward father. Since Himawari's disappearance Naruto's attentions had been distracted and as such hadn't had the time or the mindset to remind Sakura of their agreement: Either she tells Sasuke or he would.

"He should've been here for her. He should've been the one to father her instead of…" Sakura found she couldn't continue and Hinata made sure that she didn't have to.

Squeezing her friend's hand gently in comfort, Hinata gently chided her.

"You know why he left. Why he couldn't stand to be here anymore and that, if he knew, he would've made his way home as fast as he could."

Sakura let out a slow, deep breath before nodding gently in affirmation and returning Hinata's gentle smile with a shaky one of her own. Shaking her head as if to clear them of cobwebs, Sakura decided that it was her turn to ask the questions.

"Hina… how are you holding up? Has there been any word on-?" The words died as they both sensed someone approaching the front door.

A lifetime of being shinobi had trained them for such things. Out of habit and a sense of social tradition the two waited until whoever approached started knocking on the door. The two of them then stood up and made their way to the door.

The chakra signature had pulsed in a manner that probably seemed erratic to the uninformed. Those who were in the know however, it was a signal that whoever was approaching was in the ANBU and the pulsing signature was to indicate as such.

Upon opening the door, the two kunoichi were greeted by the sight of a mask bearing the visage of a snarling cat. The shinobi behind the mask was dressed in the official attire of an Anbu sergeant.

"What is it?" Sakura asked shortly making little effort to mask the irritation in her voice at the interruption. Despite not taking a threatening stance, the shinobi took a step back in hesitation before dropping to one knee in respect.

The Cherry Blossom's temper was legendary and she had put more than a few shinobi in the hospital for raising her ire.

"The Hokage requests your presence at the hospital immediately Lady Hinata, Lady Sakura." The ANBU informed them after taking another moment to gather his courage. He kept his head bowed either from fear, respect or perhaps a bit of both.

Those who had fought against Madara had become legend after all.

"What could the Hokage want with both of us there?" Hinata asked, her brows furrowed and head cocked curiously. Despite her best efforts the Uzumaki matriarch couldn't help the sinking feeling pooling in her stomach.

"It's Captain Inuzuka ma'am. He's returned."

* * *

The two had rushed to the hospital without delay, the Anbu left as soon as he delivered the news.

Normally Hinata would have felt bad for him, Sakura having proved to be a terrifying figure for many a veteran shinobi. At the moment however, Hinata found she couldn't give two shits about that Anbu as she sped across the rooftops at a speed so blinding she appeared to the civilians to be little more than a blue streak of chakra.

Kiba had been dispatched at Naruto's command with a full complement of Anbu operatives. Their mission had been twofold: Find the Notes of Oto and gather intel.

Secondly, find Himawari and failing that, her body to bring back to Konoha.

"How is-",Hinata began, stepping into the room with Sakura hot on her heels.

Kiba looked awful. Aside from his head he seemed to be wrapped from head to toe in bandages and he was hooked up to several machines that seemed to be monitoring everything from his chakra flow to his heartbeat. Strapped to his face was an oxygen mask and there was a large, red and ugly scar running diagonally from his left temple to the bottom of his right jaw.

Looking at his wife from his seated position in the corner of the room, Naruto let out a small sigh.

"He was badly injured and unconscious when the patrol found him. Given his condition it's amazing that Akamaru carried him all the way home. We've had no luck finding the others of his squad." Naruto explained, rubbing his eyes tiredly before nodding towards Kiba's resting form. Looking over towards her friend Hinata blinked in surprise.

Somehow, she had failed to notice Ino's hunched over form next to Kiba's side. Clearly the situation was taking a greater toll on her than she first thought.

"They did something to his mind as well. Possibly pumped him for information before leaving him for dead. If Akamaru hadn't found him…" Naruto trailed off not needing to say more.

Sakura, ever the doctor, wasted no time and began to inspect the sedated shinobi, flipping through his medical charts as she did so and remaining silent, her mind focused entirely on the task.  
Hinata only nodded and made her way to the open chair at Kiba's bedside, taking his hand in hers.

Ino bit her lip worriedly as she took in Kiba's sleeping form on the bed in front of her. He had been stabilized already and, from what she had been told, he was well on the road to recovery. That didn't mean that there wasn't serious risk involved with what she was going to attempt.

Looking over at Naruto she felt that sinking feeling pooling once again in the pit of her stomach. The Hokage possessed a look that she had only seen on a few prior occasions. It was a look of grim determination and it appeared as if it had no place on the normally cheery blonde's face.

"You sure you want to do this?" Ino asked him.

For a moment, he hesitated and he was no longer Naruto the Hokage but just plain old Naruto once more. Then the moment passed, his eyes hardened and he nodded shortly and without a word, waited for her to proceed.

Shaking her head slightly, partly in order to clear it and partly to focus her mind.

"Do what?" Both Hinata and Sakura asked simultaneously.

"Ino is going to take a peek inside Kiba's head. From there she will attempt to find out the full extent of the damage and try to fix it if at all possible. I also want to find out what happened so she's going to try to determine what Kiba found out concerning his mission." Naruto explained quietly.

"That's too dangerous!" Hinata told him fiercely, standing up and moving in between her husband and her teammate and assuming a defensive posture.

Ino reached over and laid a gentle hand on Hinata's arm.

"Hina… What I'm going to do is called a Dive and while there are some risks I promise you that I will wait a few days first. Hopefully that will give Kiba some time to recover and minimize the chances of something going wrong." Ino told her with a small comforting smile.

This caught Naruto's attention and not in a good way.

"We need to do this now." He growled only for three pairs of eyes to sharpen into a deadly glare.

"I've weighed the risks and I'm not willing to take them. It's too dangerous for Kiba and, if something goes wrong, it will be dangerous for me too!" Ino hissed.

"Hime… the last thing he said before the gate guards found him was 'I found her…'" Naruto told his wife, desperation and frustration coloring his tone.

This caused the room to fall silent as the occupants took a moment to absorb that information.

"He could've been referring to Sae. Kiba does hold a deep hatred for that woman remember? It's why he volunteered in the first place. Finding Himawari was just another reason for him to go." Sakura reasoned with a finger to her lips.

Hinata heard this and her shinobi training told her that this was not only possible but most likely the case. Her baby girl had been missing for more than half a year and logic dictated that she most likely hadn't survived what had happened to her. After all, Hinata herself had been badly wounded when the attack took place.

But her other half… the half of her that was a mother told her otherwise. Deep down she knew that Kiba's words concerned her daughter and not some cry of vengeance. Taking a shaky breath Hinata made a decision.

"… do what you need to do but only when Ino says it's okay to." Hinata told him, the ache clear in her voice and with tears threatening to spill each passing second.

"Be gentle with him, please." Hinata asked as she made her way out of the room. She needed some air… and perhaps a drink as well.

"Of course, I will Hina. He's important to me too." Ino called out even though the former Hyuuga was no longer with them.

* * *

 _ **Desert of the Wind**_

Himawari groaned as the desert heat continued to take its toll on her. In front of her, Sasuke showed no signs of fatigue despite his seemingly multilayered form.

 _That poncho looks like its boiling! How is it that he isn't even sweating?_

Shaking her head to clear it of all such thoughts before they drove her mad the Hyuuga reached over to Kamui's left flank for the water canteen. Unknowing of how long it would be before they found another water source she took the time to enjoy the feel of the water as it flowed past her lips and soothed the raw feeling in her parched throat.

Since leaving the oasis behind them they had taken a small paved road that traced and wound its way through the Wind Desert. They had been on the road for two days, stopping only to rest and to feed and water the horse.

Himawari had been surprised at how much food and water for Kamui, Sasuke kept stored inside some scrolls. From his answering grumbles though it was clear that his supplies were running low. Their journey was also taking longer than what Sasuke had promised her.

 _I can't blame him though. I'm being hunted by a group of murderous, psychopathic ninja. Some detours are to be expected._

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, just loud enough for her to hear. Himawari cocked her head slightly as she tried to decipher it's meaning.

'Hn' seemed to be the man's most favorite word in the world. Over the past few days Himawari had been keeping up the conversations between the two of them. In that time, she had learnt how to interpret the myriad of meanings behind this odd monosyllabic word.

 _Given the pitch of the tone it's clear that he just wants to catch my attention._

Well… that and he raised his arm and pointed to something in the distance, far ahead of them.

 _It seems like a solid clue to me._

Returning the canteen to its original placing, Himawari raised her hand to shield her eye from the glare of the sun and squinted into the distance, trying to make out whatever it was that the Uchiha had seen. It took a few moments for her eye to adjust before she saw it as well.

It was faint. So faint that one could be forgiven for thinking that it was another mirage, conjured by the scorching sands that surrounded them. It appeared to be a small city… or perhaps a large town?

"What is that place?" She asked Sasuke curiously whilst trying to ignore the gnawing hunger scratching at her insides. Their rations had run dry yesterday morning. Apparently, according to Sasuke, the reason was her, his 'unexpected tagalong'.

With a small grunt, Sasuke reached into his poncho before withdrawing one very tightly folded map. Taking a few moments to unfurl the document and to peruse its contents, the Uchiha returned the map to its original place.

"It's called…" He began before trailing off into a mumble.

Himawari frowned before leaning forward and poking him between the shoulder blades in annoyance.

"What's it called?" She asked with what she thought was an intimidating growl. Pointedly, she ignored the fact that her 'growl' came out as little more than her usual squeak. The Uchiha let out a small resigned sigh before deciding to answer her.

"Sandy Springs." Each word that passed between his lips came out with a small shudder of his shoulders. Himawari couldn't help it. She started with a small giggle which she attempted to cover with her hand but which soon devolved into full-blown laughter with her clutching her sides.

Sasuke's shoulders tensed and said nothing, feeling as though it would be immature to snap at a child for something so… childish.

Himawari's laughter immediately faded away as her stomach made its displeasure known once more. Loudly.

"Relax. We're almost there and then we'll both get some hot food for our bellies and replenish our stock of supplies for the remainder of our journey." Sasuke told her, his mouth twitching as he tried to suppress a small smile from gracing his features at Himawari's answering groan.

"I could eat a-" Himawari began before cutting herself off at Kamui's warning snort. Himawari frowned to herself this time.

 _This horse is far too intelligent_ She thought to herself suspiciously.

"Sorry" She mumbled before resting against Sasuke's back and trying to cope with the heat of the sun.

"It's a border town."

"Hmm?" Himawari replied tiredly.

"It separates the vast deserts of the Land of Wind from the great forests of the Land of Fire. The closer we get to the town gate the more patches of grass you'll see amongst the sand and the stone. Once we cross through you'll see lush, green vegetation and tall forest trees." Sasuke cleared his throat, still unused to speaking so much on regular basis. Though he would never admit it a part of him looked forward to being back in his homeland.

The bad memories far outweighed the good but it was still his home.

"These towns are small but there are still quite a number of shinobi that patrol and guard the town and outlying area." Sasuke told her.

Himawari stared at his back quizzically.

"What does that have to do with anything?" She asked him.

"You currently have who knows how many ninja after you at the moment. I don't know if they're after you for your eye or if there is some other reason but the fact remains that they're hunting you and we don't have any information on how many there are or where they are." Sasuke informed her shortly before reaching back past her to fiddle around inside one of the saddlebags, rummaging for something.

It took him a few moments before he pulled out a large piece of cloth and passed it to her before returning his hands to the reigns.

"Make a hood or a shemagh out of that to cover your face. At the very least cover your hair and control your eye. The last thing we need is gossiping townsfolk spreading word of a one-eyed, heavily scarred Hyuuga child running about the border towns and drawing unfriendly eyes in the process." He told her gruffly. Nodding to herself as she made sense of his reasoning she proceeded to wrap the material into a makeshift shemagh obscuring her all her features save for her eye and nose.

* * *

 ** _Sandy Springs, Border-town_ **

Helping Himawari off of Kamui the Uchiha set her down in front of him. Staring at her for a moment that lasted just a tad too long, which in turn garnered a curious look from the young girl.

"What is it?" Himawari asked, rubbing her arms self-consciously and wondering silently whether it was her missing eye that had drawn such scrutiny from the man.

With a roll of his eyes and letting out a small sigh Sasuke held out a small pouch to Himawari. Taking the pouch, she raised an eyebrow at its unexpected weight before taking a peek inside. It was full of coins of varying sizes and colorings. Her eye widened as she quickly calculated the value of what she held.

 _There must be over five thousand Ryo in here!_

"If I remember right then there should be a restaurant just down the main road. It's just past lunch time so it should be relatively empty. Order whatever you want, it's not too far and I'll join you as soon as I'm done here." He told her, pointing toward the town entrance before turning away to lead Kamui to the stables.

Nodding to herself, Himawari couldn't help but to pirouette on her heel with a large smile and headed through the gates in search of food. She did stop briefly to adjust her disguise before practically skipping down the road.

* * *

 _ **THE FROTHY PRAWN**_

Himawari rubbed her eye before peering at the sign again. That couldn't be right.

 _Who calls a restaurant by that name? Then again, the name of the town is just as ridiculous._

Nevertheless, this seemed to be the place. She had asked a few passersby to confirm her suspicions and they all had pointed to the sign she now stood before. In normal circumstances, she would have looked for another, more sensibly named place to eat but she was hungry and this is where Sasuke planned to meet her.

Nodding to herself once, Himawari set her shoulders straight and stepped through the front door. Almost immediately her belly growled as her senses were assaulted by the most intoxicating and delicious smell that she had ever encountered. At least as far as she could remember anyway.

"Can I help you honey?" Shaking her head to clear it Himawari turned her attention to the person who greeted her.

The woman wore an apron in front and greeted her with a full, practiced smile and a head of golden hair. In other words, she was for all intents and purposes a typical waitress. On her breast pocket, there was a small label with the name 'Motoko' on it.

Eyes crinkling as she returned the smile, Himawari took a seat at a table in the corner, ignoring the startled look that graced the woman's face as she took in Himawari's eyepatch.

"W-what can I get you sweetie?" Motoko asked, following her after a moment's hesitation.

"W-what is that smell?" Himawari asked shyly, hating how the cloth muffled her voice. The waitress looked at her in confusion for a moment before her eyes widened in recognition.

"Oh that? Now's when we prepare the ingredients for our ramen for the dinner rush later this evening." She told her with a small flush of her cheeks and frantic waving of her hand.

"Can I have a bowl please? I'm starving." Himawari asked, holding out a handful of coins on the table to show that she had the money to pay for it.

"Sure, you can honey. I'll go tell the chef to make you a big bowl… would you like some green tea and water as well?" Motoko answered warmly as she flipped open a small notebook and started scribbling down her order.

Himawari nodded fervently trying not to think too hard about her hunger or whether she had taken out enough money to pay for the meal.

"My… dad will be coming soon. Can you make it two please?" She asked nervously. The word 'dad' sounded strange to say but it was all she could think of not to draw attention. Saying 'that strange man who I convinced to be my bodyguard and guide' didn't exactly roll off the tongue.

The waitress nodded once more before making her way to the kitchens. It was only a few minutes before the waitress returned carrying a tray with two glasses of cold water and another two cups filled with steaming hot green tea.

Thanking the waitress Himawari blew on her mug of green tea before taking a small sip and sighing in pleasure at the taste of it.

 _It's sweeter than I was expecting._

Looking down at her mug she noticed that the tea stem was standing upright.

 _That's weird._

The bell tinkled again and Himawari looked up to see Sasuke enter the restaurant. He didn't even look in her direction as he made his way towards their table.

"Sir, your daughter is in the-" Motoko began only to be caught off guard as Sasuke came to an abrubt halt before swiveling to face the poor woman.

"My…?" The Uchiha cut himself off before nodding in thanks and making his way towards Himawari.

"Daughter?" He asked her as he took a seat opposite her. He didn't look or sound angry so Himawari took that as a win.

"It's all I could think of that sounded reasonable." Himawari responded with a small shrug as she took another sip of the tea and leaned back in her chair. The feel of the chair's wooden back felt nice against her body.

She would never admit it to anyone but her scars still ached at times.

"What did you order?" Sasuke asked in what, Himawari assumed, was meant to be a conversational tone. In truth it sounded as though it had been spoken by a dead fish.

"Ramen for both of us." She answered primly.

Sasuke's nose wrinkled in distaste.

"You don't like Ramen?" Himawari questioned with a cheeky smile.

"Let's just say someone I know turned me off of the stuff." Sasuke responded shortly, clearly wanting to say nothing more on the matter.

"But it smells so good!" Himawari insisted as Mokoto returned with their meals.

The waitress had barely set the dish down before Himawari tore into the meal with a gusto that seemed to defy physics. Noodles and broth became a blur as they entered her mouth only to disappear forever. There was nothing that Sasuke could do but to sit back in his chair, mouth agape and his eyes wide with shock.

 _I don't think even the baka could eat ramen so quickly!_

"That was great!" Himawari exclaimed a few seconds after the last mouthful before grabbing a napkin and dabbing at the broth that seemed to have escaped her notice.

Noticing the girl's longing gaze at his own bowl the Uchiha slowly pushed it towards her, silently wary that she might accidentally eat his hand as well.

"You can have mine." He told her before retracting his hand as swiftly as he could. Her eyes shone like stars as she leaned forward, palms outstretched on the table to stare at him with such intensity that it took all of willpower not to flinch.

"Really!?" She asked excitedly.

"I don't like ramen remember? I'll order something else." He told her with a nod before signaling to the waitress.

He didn't want to think about what she was doing to his bowl of ramen.

' _those poor noodles'_

* * *

This was a very difficult chapter to write as I wanted to jump straight into the action but then I felt things would've moved far too quickly.

And so this chapter serves primarily as a transitional chapter until we get to the good stuff. Next chapter should have some action and further plot insight.

I hope I didn't make too many mistakes with this chapter but if you spot something or an inconsistency please let me know and I will correct it as needed.

Please leave a review if you liked it. I think this story needs some love and not just from me... plus reviews are a great motivator for me as well. They remind me to carry on writing when I have free time from work and studies.

Until next time with Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 13: The Ritual


	13. The Ritual

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 13

The Ritual

* * *

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! It's been a while hasn't it? I have been exceedingly busy with university and exams so I apologise for my long absence.

Anyway I do hope you guys like this one and I did my best to use this chapter to set up a far more explosive next chapter. I think I need to stretch my legs in the action writing department.

I also know that this chapter still needs a lot of work but I wanted to get it out to you guys as soon as I could. Now then, enough of my senseless drabbles and let's have some fun!

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are both the properties of Masashi Kishimoto the true Sage of the Six Paths.

* * *

 _ **THE FROTHY PRAWN- BAR**_

It was with a heavy sigh that Sasuke sat down at the counter and threw a few notes on the countertop. The bartender took the notes with barely a glance before continuing to wipe the top with a surprisingly clean cloth.

"Sake. Leave the bottle." Sasuke told him shortly before resting his head against the cool wood of the bar. The past week had been long and exhausting to say the least. Not at all what he thought it was going to be.

How had he ended up here? How did it come to this? Originally he had been content to merely wander the Hidden Nations, going back and forth from region to region trying to do whatever good he could.

He had been wandering for so long that he thought he would never stop. That was what led him to the Unknown Lands. It had been his plan to head west and just keep going until there was nothing left to see.

That had been the grand plan. Keep moving until he couldn't move anymore and then rest his head down for the last time.

And then he ran into the girl. Skittish little thing despite her brief spurts of fiery… resistance? Aggressiveness? Sassiness?

Whatever it was the Uchiha knew one thing. It may have proven to be annoying at times but somehow, he found he still liked it. The girl got him engaged and for the first time in a long time he found that he was actually living his life again instead of just acting mechanically.

It felt good. Like waking from a long, deep sleep and now he was aware of the world around him once more.

He jumped, slightly more awake as the bottle of sake was placed before him. Thanking the bartender for the drink with a short grunt, the Uchiha uncorked the bottle with his teeth before taking a long pull, ignoring the sake box placed before him.

The alcohol was terrible and he made no attempt to disguise this as his face morphed into a grimace, not that the bartender seemed all that offended by it.

"Drink not to your liking?" Someone asked before taking the stool next to his, the seat groaning under the unexpected weight.

 _Must be wearing some armor._

"Hn" The Uchiha retorted before taking another sip, followed shortly by yet another grimace. The stranger barked out a short laugh before tapping the wood to gain the bartender's attention and then pointing at the sake bottle.

"That's too bad. I bet you've had a hell of a week and it's not about to get any easier." The stranger chuckled out. All too suddenly the Uchiha's senses sharpened and he became intimately more aware of his surroundings.

 _This one is dangerous._

"I'm guessing you're one of the Oto nin after the girl?" Sasuke probed shamelessly even as he swirled the drink around inside the bottle before taking another sip, followed by another grimace.

"You would be correct. My name is-" The man began only for Sasuke to hold up his hand and cut him off.

"I don't care." The Uchiha stated before lowering his hand and returning his attention to the alcohol.

"You don't care about me introducing myself?" The man asked, his tone coloured with a mixture of curiosity, confusion and mild amusement.

"Not if you plan on giving me your whole life story I don't." The Uchiha snorted.

"Why would I give you my life story?" This time the confusion was apparent in the stranger's voice as he scoffed before taking another swallow of his own drink.

"Isn't that what everyone seems to do? Introduce themselves and then explain their background and motivations before, during and after our battle." Sasuke drawled.

"Don't know what kind of morons you normally go up against but I promise you I won't be doing that." The man promised.

The two sat in silence for a moment and took sips from their respective bottles before the stranger let out a hacking cough.

"Toyohisa. My name is Toyohisa." The man told him, ignoring the Uchiha's annoyed frown and taking his own pull of the sake straight from the bottle.

"Shit, you're right. This crap is terrible." Toyohisa told him before beginning to chug the drink down quickly.

"So why are you here? Having a drink next to me?" Even as he exchanged small talk with the man, Sasuke's brain raced as he began thinking of ways to obtain information from the soldier.

"Who would pass up the chance to meet the infamous Sasuke Uchiha? Konoha's legendary military commander who's gone rogue so many times it has become little more than a running joke in the shinobi world." Toyohisa proclaimed in an exaggerated manner, gesturing his hand towards Sasuke as though introducing him to a non-existent crowd.

"I haven't gone rogue." Sasuke winced slightly at his own voice there. It was far too quick and defensive, something that the other man seemed to pick up on almost immediately.

"Oh? Then what do you call the last ten years?" Toyohisa replied, a teasing lilt to his voice as though he were teasing an old comrade.

"Holiday." Sasuke replied shortly before taking another swill of the sake.

Toyohisa stayed silent and seemed to be content with atmosphere of the room.

"You're not a normal shinobi, are you?" The Uchiha muttered, waving his bottle in the man's direction as he said so. Toyohisa frowned before swivelling back in his chair to face the bar once more, seemingly offended by what the veteran ninja had said.

"Whatever do you mean?" He eventually asked his voice betraying nothing.

"You don't have the same look as one." Sasuke told him simply, his face taking on an expression of longing when he shook the bottle only to hear silence instead of the sound of sloshing liquid.

"I don't understand your meaning."

"Yes, you do. You may have had some training in the shinobi arts but you're a soldier." This time Sasuke couldn't keep the irritation from seeping into his voice. Seems like the sake was beginning to take effect.

"Oh, you are a clever one but I'm afraid you're only half right." Toyohisa responded darkly, a dangerous grin on his face as he stared at him from the corner of his eye. Sasuke said nothing, patiently waiting for the man to elaborate but beneath his poncho he tightened his grip on the kunai he was wielding.

"I'm a battle priest." Toyohisa told him proudly, beating his breastplate as he said it.

"A follower of Jashin? Last I heard, Shikamaru Nara put together a small army to take you all out… and succeeded. Burnt your temple to the ground as well." Sasuke remarked, impressed despite himself before reaching over the bar when the bartender's back was turned and quickly grabbing another bottle of sake.

"The little prick almost did but there were a few of us on the road at the time. We managed to slip through the net and continue our work."

The two of them spent the next few minutes drinking in silence.

"I know that the girl is sleeping upstairs and that you have a shadow clone watching over her." It wasn't said in a threatening manner as one might have expected but rather just as a statement of fact.

"Then why haven't you made a move?" Sasuke asked curiously.

"I'm a warrior and a survivor just like you. It's only fair to show you the proper respect and allow you the opportunity to walk away from this before I start turning... bloodthirsty." Toyohisa informed him, that grin still gracing his face.

"How generous of you." Sasuke drawled out sarcastically.

"It is isn't it?"

"How did you know we would be here?" The Uchiha asked.

"I could say it was our trackers who found you or perhaps our seer that divined your location but that would be lying." The other man replied honestly.

"Then what is the truth?"

"We knew that you would head home to Hi no Kuni and that you'd have to come through the border at some point. So we sent men to each town and I suppose I just got lucky." Toyohisa explained, unconcerned with what he had just revealed.

"Funny how life works out."

"Indeed."

"Why are you after the girl? I've seen abduction operations before but you guys are really… dedicated to completing your mission." This time, Sasuke decided to take the direct approach instead. A risky manoeuvre but one that couldn't hurt at this point.

"Now why would you want to know that if I'm giving you the chance to walk away with your head attached to your shoulders?"

"Maybe I just want to know how far to run." Sasuke joked humourlessly.

"Ha! A likely story!"

"You're going to tell me." Sasuke told him definitively with a small nod of his head.

"And why would I do that?"

"Because I recognise the look in your eyes. You're hoping I don't run because you want to take my head."

"… Fair enough." Toyohisa told him, the grin ever-present upon his face.

"The girl is no ordinary Hyuuga bastard." Sasuke postulated, his eyes scanning his opponent's face for any particular tell.

"Once in every generation a special child is born with Hyuuga blood running through their veins. A child possessing some unique trait or other. They call this child the Byakugan Princess." Toyohisa replied after a few moments of silence. Clearly the man was still debating how much he should reveal.

"Who are they?" Sasuke pressed, eager to take this opportunity as far as he could.

"Some old fart who probably never held a blade in his life? I don't really know to be honest as the legend has been told and retold so many times." Toyohisa snorted before waving off his question. "Such a child has always been zealously guarded by the Hyuuga clan simply because they were a child."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"To be honest I don't understand it completely myself but from what I've been told their blood possesses special properties whilst the Byakugan Princess is still a child. Once they reach the end of childhood the blood loses this… property."

"What property?"

"It is said that if the blood is extracted from the child at the right time and in the right way then whomever consumes the blood shall become truly immortal."

 _What is it with this world and it's Kami damned immortality rituals!_

"You have to drain a child of their blood and then consume it at a specific time? That's… sickening." Sasuke questioned, wanting to make sure that he understood the whole concept.

"It's what the ritual specifies." The other man answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Who ordered this?"

"My master of course." Toyohisa replied as though he were answering the most obvious question in the world.

"And who is your master?"

"Spoilers. Let's just say that he's very keen on getting his hands on your head as well. Just not as keen as he is on the Hyuuga bitch you're travelling with."

"Fine then keep your secrets. I will not however, let you lay a finger on that child while she is under my care." Sasuke threatened softly.

"You ready to die for that?" For the first time in their conversation Toyohisa's jovial attitude disappeared only to be replaced with a strange seriousness.

"I've been ready to die since I was a child." Sasuke informed the man.

"That's a good attitude. Last round?"

"Sure. Got to hit the road soon anyway."

"What makes you think you're reaching the road?"

"What makes you think I'm not? Do you really think you could stop me?"

"Oh I'd love to try it the old fashioned way but I already have stopped you." Toyohisa informed him.

"And how did you do that? You talking about the fact that all the sand shinobi in the town have mysteriously disappeared and how every one of the townsfolk has been acting… oddly since we arrived?"

"Ah that… we disposed of the town's inhabitants shortly before you arrived and replaced them with the Silent Step."

Something was wrong. His mouth was too dry and the tip of his tongue had become numb.

 _The Silent Step, the Sound Daimyo's personal shinobi army. Supposedly they're more lethal than any normal shinobi… What the hell are they doing mixed up in this?_

Something was very wrong. The lights were far too bright and his fingertips were tingling.

"But that's just a security precaution. There's a reason your drink tastes so terrible." Toyohisa continued acting as though he hadn't just committed an act of assassination.

"Poison? That's cheap…." Sasuke hissed, falling off of his stool, arm wrapped around his stomach as he felt the poison work its way to his intestines, burning away at his insides.

"True shinobi use every advantage. Only fools use all their power in every engagement like a battering ram." It was said with such superiority that Sasuke couldn't help himself. Through the pain he slowly lifted his free hand and made a certain gesture which caused the other man to chuckle.

"You're right." The last words that left the Uchiha's mouth before he disappeared in a puff of smoke. A shadow clone.

Silence reigned for a brief moment as the Jashinist absorbed what had just happened.

"…. Bastard!" Toyohisa swore before polishing off the last of his drink. When he was done he turned his attention to the bartender and gave the man a slight nod.

With a puff of smoke, the figure of the bartender dissipated only to be replaced with a far more feminine figure. Brushing off some imaginary dust from her nametag, the waitress Motoko gave him a lopsided smile before leaning on the countertop, face in her hands and sent him a wink.

"Did they see through your disguise?" Toyohisa asked with a smile. She had always been his favourite amongst the Notes.

"No one ever has before. Maybe it was the fact that no one else in this miserable place said a word to them." Motoko defended, sending him a cheeky wink as she did so.

"The Silent Step were all we had on hand in the area. Deception isn't their greatest strength so I'm not too surprised." He replied, waving her off and getting to his feet.

"What do we do now? If this one was a shadow clone then it's a sure thing that the ones upstairs are as well."

Toyohisa merely nodded.

"Sae is already over the border with a full complement of the Silent Step to back her up. Get Toki to send them a message with that bird of his." He ordered before walking out the door.

"Got it."

* * *

 ** _HI NO KUNI- THE FOREST OF FIRE_**

Himawari's progress was... remarkable to say the least. The girl was a prodigy and had already mastered the basic forms with quicksilver swiftness.

 _She's definitely trained. Just shy of a third year Genin in terms of skill I'd say._

"Put more weight on your front foot. The Gentle Fist requires you to always move forward towards your opponent. Don't give the enemy a chance to so much as breathe so keep your weight towards the foe." Sasuke criticised, keeping his eyes trained on her form and making note of all the flaws in her stance.

For her part, Himawari only nodded and wiped the sweat away from her forehead before resuming her original stance, adjusting her footing as she did so.

"Alright." She finally answered him before beginning the kata again.

"When you strike you should aim to expel as much of your chakra as you can. Masters of the Fist can shut down their opponents body part by part but even the most basic beginner can stop a man's heart with enough chakra in the right place." Sasuke instructed her.

"How do you even know this style if it belongs to the Hyuuga clan?" Himawari asked as she moved from the first Fist kata to the second.

"Trade secret I'm afraid." Was the Uchiha's only reply before he turned rigid. He remained stiff and unmoving for a few seconds before shaking his head and returning to normal posture.

"What's wrong?" Himawari asked, a tinge of worry colouring her tone.

"They're onto us." He told her shortly as he moved towards Kamui and began preparing the steed for further travel.

"I thought we had more time!" Himawari hissed before letting out a string of curses she had learned from the old man and which made the Uchiha raise a single eyebrow.

"Frankly, I'm impressed that we got as much time as we've had."

"What do we do?" Himawari asked him accepting Sasuke's help to place her on Kamui's saddle.

"They're coming for you…"

"What are you thinking?" Something about the way he said that unnerved her.

"Maybe we should head for Konoha. It's not too far if we run the distance with some chakra involved and then we could get some real firepower on our side."

"No." Himawari couldn't help the rage that filled her veins at the thought of going to that place.

"You'd be safe there." Sasuke argued only to have the girl shake her head in disagreement.

"You said the Hyuuga take the eyes of bastard children." She hissed making it clear that that reason alone was enough to avoid the place.

"I won't let that happen. I have powerful friends there." Sasuke countered trying to convince the girl that it was the best option available.

 _I'd kill them before they take her eyes._

"I am not going to that place! You promised to take me to the Fire Temple!" This time she let out an audible growl.

For some reason the sound actually made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He felt surprise far more than he felt any sort of nervousness or fear."

"I know I just-" He tried to argue only to be cut off by Himawari's tantrum once more.

"You promised me! We had a deal! I will not risk my eyes and my life to some clan I've only heard horrific stories of!"

 _I guess there's no convincing her._

"…Alright." The conviction with which he said it was apparently enough to convince her.

* * *

It was a few hours later that he sensed them. Reigning Kamui to a stop he began feeling out for the source of the disturbance. Himawari, for her part, remained silent.

Either the girl had sensed that something was wrong or she trusted his instincts enough to know that he sensed something was wrong.

The two of them dismounted before Sasuke sent Kamui away into the forest. He didn't want to risk her with what was about to happen.

It took only a few moments for his eyes to spot the figures hiding in the darkness.

"Hello there." The voice was decidedly feminine despite sounding slightly muffled in its quality.

"Hn" The Uchiha replied making sure to stay in front of the girl and keeping his hand on Kusanagi's pommel.

"I must say that it is really an honor to meet you again Uchiha-sama." The woman even bowed low as though treating him as an important guest.

"… I remember you." The Uchiha drawled his voice seeming to drip with boredom.

"You do? I'm flattered." If she noted his tone she chose not to mention it.

"Nakata Sae. You were one of Kabuto's apprentices." Sasuke claimed with a snap of his fingers, seemingly pleased with his remembering her name.

"I'm honoured that you remember me." Sae answered, bowing low once more and her eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Wasn't by choice. I just happen to remember faces quite well." Sasuke retorted.

"A remarkable gift you possess Lord Uchiha."

"So why are you waylaying us then?" The question was unnecessary he knew. Everyone there knew what was happening.

"Out of respect for you Sasuke-kun I give you a gift." Sae told him with another smile if the crinkling around her eyes was any indication.

"And what gift would that be?"

"Why the gift of life of course." The words came out with such casualness that

"How generous of you. And what do you want in return for this gift?" The Uchiha drawled out, seemingly bored and unconcerned with the fact that they were both surrounded by a few dozen, armed shinobi and a psychopathic shinobi leading them.

"All you have to do is turn around and ride away into the forest. Back to your road and continue running away from whatever it is you're running away from."

"…and the girl?" The Uchiha asked rubbing his chin in thought.

"You leave her with us. After that it isn't really your concern Sasuke-kun." Sae told him with a fake sweetness.

"Yeah… you see I can't do that."

This was apparently the wrong thing to say as Sae stood up straight and the air around them seemed to heighten with danger and the constant presence of death.

"Why not?" Sae asked slowly.

"Because she hired me. Once hired, a shinobi sees the job through to the end." Sasuke informed her, almost casually, even as his hand slowly began inching its way back towards Kusanagi's hilt.

"Ah but you're not a shinobi anymore are you Sasuke-kun? You haven't been for over a decade. What you're describing then is mere mercenary work." It was those words that caused a strange thought to flit across his mind unbidden but not unwanted.

' _I hate her smile'_ It was an odd thing to think considering that he couldn't see the lower half of her face, covered as it was by the top of her collar. It was just something about the way her eyes seemed to both crinkle in amusement and sharpen dangerously all at once.

Hate was a good emotion to feel before battle. It made it so much easier to not regret the taking of a life. At least that's what Madara would have had everyone believe.

"Call me whatever you want but I'm not letting you have her." The words were short and to the point as would be expected from him. Despite sounding familiar Sasuke found that he was surprised at himself when he spoke the words. They came out with far more force than he had intended and he meant them more than he thought he would. It appeared that it did not go unnoticed either as he felt Himawari stiffen in surprise from behind him.

"Why are you doing this? Surely you don't think that you –" Sae began only to be stopped.

"I remember you." Himawari said the words just loud enough for the group to hear her, cutting off Sae's words. What little sound there was in the clearing fell away as all attention was now placed on her.

"I'm flattered my dear."

"You killed Kouda." Slowly but with great certainty Himawari raised her hand and pointed a single finger at Sae who cocked her head curiously. Nodding to herself as if doing so to confirm her own suspicions, Himawari's hand began to shake slightly.

"I'm sorry?"

"The old man you killed that night in the snow." The shaking grew worse with each word and Himawari didn't know if it was from rage, terror or grief. She didn't know a lot of things at that point in time… except one.

There was one thing that Himawari knew and it was all she needed to keep her courage. The young girl knew what was going to happen in the next ten minutes or so. It was this foresight that made what she envisioned a potential reality.

"Ah yes, Kouda-san. Forgive me my dear but when you've killed as many people as I have then the names and faces tend to blur together after a while."

"He was a kind man and my friend and you killed him."

"I'm sorry for your loss." Sae drawled, her voice dripping with amusement.

"I'm going to kill you." Himawari didn't mean for the thought in her head to pass from between her lips.

"Excuse me? Was that a threat, child?"

"Right here in this place. You're going to die tonight and I'm going to be the one that does it." Himawari promised the woman darkly, dropping her hand to reach for the kunai at her back. The one she had taken from the ninja she had killed.

"Big words from such a small, weak and defenceless girl. I'm a trained killer after all." Admittedly the girls words were unsettling to hear but it hardly mattered at that point.

"That doesn't matter. It doesn't matter how it happens but you're not leaving here." Himawari assured her pulling the knife from its hiding place and raising it to show the woman.

No more words needed to be said between the two of them. The message was clear. It was the knife that Himawari intended to use to take Sae's life.

"Looks like my job description just got expanded." Sasuke spoke up, drawing attention to himself once more.

"You're going to stay?" Sae asked him, sounding disappointed with his decision.

"No. I'm going to help her kill you." He kept his tone light and conversational as though he didn't just promise to help a little girl murder someone.

"And why would you do that?" Sae asked, trying to keep her voice from betraying her increasing anxiety. Sasuke Uchiha was not a shinobi to be trifled with after all.

"Let's just say I'm a big believer in the concept of revenge."

"Kill him and bring me the girl." Sae ordered coldly, stepping back to allow her men to advance.

"Not fighting with your footsoldiers? That's a big mistake."

"Make it quick. I don't want Toyohisa stealing the glory for this one." Sae spat whilst continuing to retreat.

"Don't worry." Sasuke told her even as he gripped Kusanagi's hilt tightly and slowly unsheathed the blade. Sae's eyes widened considerably at this action, her eyes following the gleam of the blade as the pale moonlight reflected off of its surface making the blade shine silver.

"I'll make it quick." He promised her. His tone conveyed no malice, only a quiet promise. He knew the legends and stories that others told about him. The horrors that veteran shinobi tell to their children to get them to behave.

'behave or Sasuke Uchiha will come for you in the night'.

An odd thing but very effective from what he had been told. The truth was in fact altogether different. Sasuke Uchiha wasn't a cruel person nor was he a sadist. Every move he made in combat was efficient and done with the aim to dispatching his opponent.

Only fools and madmen prolonged combat longer than they had to and he was neither of those. That's why his promise was a genuine one.

At least… it would be if he got to Sae before Himawari did. The girl may have less than basic training but she was unpredictable and if Naruto had proven one thing to him over the years it was that unpredictability was a very dangerous thing.

Drawing his blade and activating both his eyes at the same time he drew a deep breath and waited for the inevitable assault. Himawari stood behind him for protection but her posture remained as determined as ever.

It was time to be unpredictable.

* * *

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I hoped to move the plot forward some more and hopefully that's what I accomplished with this chapter.

Please let me know what you think of the chapter and the story as a whole by leaving a review for me. The next chapter will focus more on Himawari's perspective of things than Sasuke.

Until next time.

Those Who Are Lost Chapter 14

A Promise Of Vengeance.


	14. A Promise Of Vengeance

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners!

It's certainly been a while hasn't it?

Sorry for the long wait but I find that I have increasingly less and less time to write these days. I promise that I am trying to find the time to keep on writing but that pesky thing called life just keeps getting in the way.

I will admit that I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and it underwent more than a few revisions.

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden, these are the properties of Masashi Kishimoto and his army of lawyers. I do however own my original characters.

Anyway enough of my paltry excuses! On to the story and so it is with great pride and hopefulness that I present the next chapter of Those Who Are Lost. I hope that this story continues to entertain you guys and in return you leave me lots of yummy review cookies. ;)

* * *

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 14: A Promise of Vengeance

* * *

 **_HI NO KUNI- THE FOREST OF FIRE_**

"An interesting promise, Himawari-chan." Sae drawled, her tone dripping with condescension. Turning her back on the pair Sae withdrew slightly from the clearing. As she did so, more and more humanoid shapes emerged from the bush and the trees until it seemed that the entire field was filled to capacity with black-clad assassins.

"It's too bad you won't get the chance to keep it." The kunoichi remarked. Sae stopped next to one of the shinobi and put her hand on his shoulder delicately, like a mother would with her child.

"Kill the Uchiha. Bring me the little bitch quickly, alive and relatively unharmed." She ordered once more before disappearing into the sea of bodies. The shinobi slid into their varying combat forms almost simultaneously before advancing towards the duo with a speed and silence that Himawari couldn't help but to find worrying.

Slowly, as if he had all the time in the world, Sasuke shifted his feet into position, ready to meet the oncoming horde. He raised Kusanagi so that its edge pointed towards the enemy.

"Okay then. So, who wants to die first?" The Uchiha asked, face grim and set in determination. The man's blade promised death. To their credit, the Sound-nin didn't falter and continued their charge. In the pale light of the moon, Himawari could make out dozens of subtle silver flashes indicating that the enemy were also armed with a variety of close combat weapons.

 _Oh well done! Good job! Now we've got an army of them to deal with!_

The thought came unbidden and Himawari found herself flushing in shame. This was her fault.

"Don't beat yourself up about it." Sasuke told her, speaking as though he had read her thoughts. Considering how little she still knew about the man and his skills she decided that she couldn't yet discount that possibility.

"We were going to have to deal with them one way or the other. Personally, I prefer to handle my threats in a more… traditional fashion, but this will do just fine as well." As he continued to speak Sasuke raised a hand and waved her away.

Understanding his message immediately the young girl began to retreat, trying to put as much distance between her and the Uchiha as she could. Himawari couldn't help but feel that things were going to get very bloody very quickly.

Things unfolded rapidly just as she had predicted. The clearing in which they stood transformed from a place of tranquil beauty and flora to one of chaos, flashing steel and explosions of colour as jutsu of all kind began to barrage the area in which Sasuke stood occupation.

To Himawari's young eye it seemed as though events were taking place both in slow motion and at high speed all at once. Her protector had wasted no time and Sasuke sped forward to meet the small army of shinobi that stood against them. In the space of a few seconds several of the ninja dropped to the ground like flies, blood seeping from wounds to their vital organs.

What happened next was a sequence of blurs and the noise of ringing steel on steel as blades clashed with one another. Every few moments a cry would ring out and another body would fall from the tempest of combat unfurling before her.

A movement in her peripheral vision caught her attention and Himawari leaped back out of some forgotten instinct. A hand grasped at the space she had just occupied and Himawari traced it to identify her would-be kidnapper.

It was one of the sound nin. He must have slipped past the initial combat and took it as an opportunity to come after her. Time stood still just then and in the space of a single breath Himawari considered the options before her. She could turn and run or stay and fight. The decision was more difficult than she thought it would be. On the one hand, every instinct and muscle in her body screamed at her to run and she turned her body slightly in anticipation to do so.

What stopped her was her mind. A little voice in the back of her head whispering strands of logic. If she ran then she would definitely be captured. The man in front of her was a fully grown and trained ninja and she was his target.

Himawari knew that she would barely take three steps before she'd feel that same outstretched hand grasping at her neck. Even if by some miracle, she did manage to elude the ninja, the thought of leaving Sasuke alone to face that force left a sinking, gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach.

She didn't know the man as well as she would've liked, but he had taken her in when no one else had. Helped her, defended her and sheltered her even when she could offer him next to nothing in return. Aside from Kouda, Sasuke was the only person in the world that she knew and trusted. That meant he was the closest thing she had to a family right now and if there was one thing that Kouda had told her it was to never let go of family.

That left her with the only other option. Stay and fight.

Where the thought of running away filled her with a sense of guilt and shame, this option left Himawari outright terrified. The hair on the back of her neck shot straight up and she felt the cold, icy shot of adrenaline shoot down her spine before coursing through her veins.

Himawari froze, locked in a mental battle with herself and the shinobi turned towards her. Clearly her would be kidnapper was suffering from no such hesitation and he took a step towards her. It seemed that time was starting to, unhelpfully, move forward once again.

 _Surprise is your greatest asset_.

Ignoring her instincts screaming at her to run away Himawari instead followed her gut. Sucking in a deep breath the young girl bent her knees, crouched over and launched herself at the man clothed in shrouded garb. To his credit, the sound nin reacted surprisingly quickly to the unexpected attack. His reaction time was almost non-existent and yet he still found the opportunity to take a step back and brace for the impact to come.

Himawari managed to crash into him, putting as much of her weight behind her as she bowled into the ninja's stomach. The young Hyuuga was proud of herself in that she managed to knock her enemy to the ground despite his preparedness and larger size. Unfortunately, her confidence shook as the shinobi's reflexes allowed him to control his fall so that he didn't hurt himself. It didn't help matters when, after a moment of struggling Himawari discovered that the sound nin's superior acrobatics allowed him to reverse their positions and Himawari quickly found herself trapped beneath the man's heavier form, pinning her to the ground.

Himawari wriggled vigorously in an attempt to escape her makeshift prison. The man wouldn't budge, still dazed from the blow to his stomach he nonetheless knew that he had the advantage and wasn't about to relinquish it now that he had his target within reach.

It took Himawari a moment to realize that her left arm wasn't pinned like the rest of her body and she looked around frantically for something that she could use. Desperately she scrabbled to find something, anything to use as a weapon to reverse her fortunes. It was all she could do not to scream as the horror of her situation began to sink in. Her scrabbling became increasingly more frantic as her terror rose.

There was nothing. No kunai strapped to the man's back or waist. No blades or shuriken sticking up from the grass. Not even a damn stick! Her own kunai, strapped to her lower back in a sheath that Sasuke had procured for her was out of reach. Sasuke was still locked in a dance of death tens of meters away. There was absolutely nothing that she could use to help her now. As if Kami himself were set against her, her situation went from bad to worse as the ninja recovered more fully. She could feel a cold stare boring into her and he raised a hand toward her neck. If Himawari had to guess she would say that it was his intention to knock her out for transport. The young Hyuuga did the only thing she could think of and lashed out first. Her efforts were rewarded with a grunt of pain, a line of blood across the nin's right eye as her nails raked across his skin and the lower half of his mask ended up torn away in her grasp.

She looked on in horror at the features of her attacker. Dark, soulless eyes bored into her own single, blue one. What truly horrified her was his mouth. He didn't have one.

Where there should've been lips there was nothing save for a stretch of empty skin and the slightest hint of jaw and teeth behind it.

It was too much and Himawari screamed.

As if she had committed some grave taboo, the nin's dark eyes narrowed and he struck her harshly across the face.

Himawari's vision flashed red and she felt her lip split open and blood begin to pour from the tear.

In the back of her mind she found some small voice whispering to her. Irritatingly it sounded eerily like another one of Sasuke's many lectures.

 _If you can't find a weapon then never forget, you are the weapon._ Sasuke's voice whispered from within the depths of her memory.

Charging chakra as she had been taught to do on one of their many 'training breaks' Himawari funnelled the energy to the tips of her fingers. With a yell the Hyuuga slammed her hand against the man's head. Apparently, this was not the smartest tactic to employ as the man's own hands snaked around her throat in retaliation. His grip tightened and Himawari choked, feeling her airways being closed off and her vision begin to darken. His grip was like a vice. It felt like he was trying to crush the life out of her instead of just rendering her unconscious.

Her fingertips tingled like they were charged, filled to bursting with static electricity. In one last effort, Himawari dug her thumb and index finger into the man's dead gaze. Himawari closed her eye in disgust and dug further into the man's skull, ignoring the jelly like texture of the man's eyeballs as they popped beneath her grip. Despite what was clearly an excruciating pain the ninja didn't make a sound and merely tightened his grip.

 _I need to end this now before he breaks my neck._

With a scream Himawari reached deep within herself and expelled the chakra she had built up in one go. It felt like her skin was trying to tear itself off her body. Still it was better than what was happening to her attacker. The back of the man's head broke open with a sickening pop and bits of blood, brain and gore showered over the battlefield. The force of her blow was such that it threw the body off her and so she was not spared from being covered in a fountain of gore and brain matter.

Sasuke looked at Himawari's trail of destruction and then spared her a quick glance before returning his attention to his opponents, slicing another's belly open in the process.

Was it just her imagination or did it seem like there was a glint of respect in his eyes? The moment passed and Sasuke spun to avoid a kunai flashing through the air and the flurry of combat resumed once more.

Greedily, Himawari sucked in a few deep breaths of air and forced herself to get to her feet. Whatever it was that she did, it worked but it seemed to have a detrimental effect as well. Her entire body ached and tingled. The world around her wobbled and her vision went in and out of blurriness at a rate which threatened to make her fall back down onto the ground. Her stomach growled viciously and there was a deep sense of nausea resting in the pit of her stomach. The cool night air sucked into her lungs felt good and served to keep her from emptying the contents of her stomach out onto the grassy fields around her.

 _Note to self, never do that again._

Nodding in agreement with her inner voice Himawari's vision reasserted itself more and more with each lungful of air that she took in.

She put all of her focus into not taking notice of the fact that she was covered in blood and gore. Her little inner voice reminded her that, were she to take notice of her current state, then she would lose her lunch. Ignoring the smell was a harder challenge and it took some considerable effort to not notice the odour.

Taking stock of the battlefield around her, Himawari's gaze swept around the area looking for her target. It didn't take long.

Sae was locked in combat with her guardian albeit at the very fringe of the fighting. It seemed as if the kunoichi hadn't fled as Himawari had assumed she would.

 _Guess I'm more important to them than I thought._

Nakata Sae seemed content to hide behind the faceless masks of her men and women whilst she weaved between the bodies, trying and failing to hit Sasuke with kunai and shuriken that dripped with a violent green liquid which spoke of some corrosive or poison.

Fortunately, to the Uchiha, these projectiles seemed to be almost non-existent as the man simply kept his ground, twisting his body out of the way with almost no effort at all. Himawari's single eye narrowed as she observed the conflict.

She looked at the man's corpse lying on the ground nearby and then back up at the fighting. It was clear that they were facing Sasuke with the intention of killing him.

From nothingness, a simple, dangerous and yet brilliant idea began to form inside of her mind. Steeling her resolve, Himawari moved towards the conflict with a singular purpose.

She had made a promise and she intended to keep it.

* * *

"Is this all the skill you possess? I thought that the infamous Sasuke Uchiha would be a lot more dangerous than this." Sae taunted, voice thick with false sweetness.

Sasuke despite the storm of blades and jutsu showed no sign of offence at the comment. His sharingan blazed crimson in the pale light of the moon. Tomoe spun rapidly as his eyes darted from place to place, working hard to keep up with the sheer number of attacks directed against him.

"I am. Just wanted to give you a fair fight." He replied evenly, casually sliding out of the way of another ninja's tanto. He returned the blow by slamming a chakra infused fist into the man's ribcage. The man was dead before his body hit the floor.

 _I'm glad Sakura told me how to do that._

Thoughts of his wife began to fill his mind. It cost him as his distraction cost a long cut across his forearm. Mercilessly, the Uchiha crushed the thoughts of soft pink hair, warm smiles and sparkling emerald eyes. His Sharingan glowed brighter as the tomoe transformed into the shape of the Mangekyo. Without missing a beat he incinerated the offending attacker and several of his colleagues using Amaterasu before his eyes returned to normal and he stepped out of the way of a flail aimed at his midriff.

Sasuke made sure to avoid the bodies, flailing about in agony and wreathed in black flame. The Silent Step made no noise despite the agony they were clearly enduring.

Despite his speed and apparent casualness, it wasn't enough to keep him entirely free from harm, considering the number of opponents and the proximity in which they were engaged in combat.

Already there were several small tears and cuts in his clothing. His left sleeve was singed from a stray fireball and there was a long cut on his cheek which was bleeding slightly.

 _Their choice of poison was certainly interesting. Haven't been exposed to this strain since I first started training with Orochimaru._

It wouldn't stop him though. Over the years under the snake's tutelage, the Uchiha had built up a resistance to most poisons and venoms, Black Spider excluded. While the poison wouldn't kill him it would certainly slow him down.

Sasuke, for a moment, struggled to hold his tongue from cursing out a string of expletives that would've made Jiraiya blush. Slowing him down was exactly their intention. Get in close.

 _They're certainly clever._

Getting in close might've appeared to be a foolhardy choice to many but, as any veteran shinobi who had fought the Uchiha before would know, the Uchiha was a master of the blade sure, but he was a true monster when it came to jutsu.

Sasuke Uchiha could single-handedly best most swordsmen in single combat but his techniques were capable of laying waste to entire armies in the span of a few moments. At range the sound-nin knew that they had no chance against the new Sannin. Up close, they at least had the chance of besting him by wearing him down.

They were keeping him close and preventing him from using jutsu more advanced than the occasional chidori.

 _Death by a thousand cuts. Smarter than they look indeed._

"I must admit that I am sorely disappointed in you Sasuke-kun. I've heard all the tales of the legendary sharingan and yet I fail to see why it is so feared. It is true that you also possessed the mythical Rinnegan. Any particular reason why you're being so shy about showing it to us?" Sae teased, her apparent jokiness laced with a thinly veiled contempt.

"You're not worth using it on." Sasuke replied shortly, ducking beneath a water jutsu from a caster at the back before bisecting a sound ninja who foolishly got too close.

There were other more personal reasons but he wasn't going to reveal them to the enemy in the midst of battle.

 _True their methods are working… but they're going to run out of shinobi long before they can take me out._

Unless they got lucky of course. Sasuke hadn't gotten to the age he was by underestimating the power of luck and misfortune. Something that he was sure had played a role in his battles against Naruto and his brother respectively.

The shallow cut on his cheek was clear enough evidence that even he couldn't avoid every attack. He needed to finish this before luck turned against him.

Just a single fire jutsu could turn the tide but the onslaught of bodies being thrown at him was done so for the specific purpose of keeping him from performing the necessary handsigns to end the battle on his terms.

Sasuke took another cut on his cheek, overlaying the previous cut he had received and leaving him with a bloody red 'X' over his left cheek.

 _That's going to leave a scar._

It was only through sheer effort of will that the man was able to keep himself from wincing from the pain, instead opting to disembowel his attacker with unnecessary vigour.

It was only as his blade sank to the hilt in the stomach of the man that he realized his mistake. The shinobi he had impaled grabbed onto kusanagi and held on tight so that Sasuke had to fight the dying man to retrieve his sword.

In his moment of distraction, Sasuke failed to notice the shinobi hidden behind his dying comrade. The ninja didn't hesitate to raise her own chokuto sword and prepared to cut down both her comrade and Sasuke as well with one blow.

 _Shit._

No choice for it then. Sasuke released his own grip on Kusanagi and attempted to rip himself away to evade the blow headed his way. His wounded opponent had other ideas and refused to let go, maintaining his death grip on Sasuke's grip.

Wasting no time, the Uchiha's free hand came up, sheathed in the signature lightning of his chidori with the intention to remove his captors arm.

No sooner had the lightning flickered into existence around his free hand that the Silent Step's trap sprung. Seeing their window of opportunity closing fast the other shinobi rushed forward in pairs latching onto the Uchiha's remaining limbs and holding him in place.

They only needed to hold onto him for another second or two. Just long enough for their compatriot to finish beheading him.

 _Not enough time! Rookie mistake... shit._

* * *

Himawari's gaze swept across the combat unfolding around her. Sasuke was doing incredibly well against the entirety of the shinobi strike force. Bodies littered the entire field as more and more ninja kept falling to the Uchiha's sword. By the time she had… dealt with her opponent there were little over a dozen of the sound nin left to oppose her protector.

Sae was still dancing around with her assortment of poisoned blades, throwing them towards Sasuke with frightening speed and accuracy. Thankfully, Sasuke evaded the projectiles with almost no effort. Himawari's eye narrowed as she watched how Sae was hesitating between throws.

 _She's going to run soon._

The Hyuuga knew that she was running out of time and so considered her options. For her plan to work she had to begin now or risk losing her opponent.

Her eyes narrowed when Sasuke's blade got stuck in the belly of one of the ninjas. The remaining ninjas began to swarm on his location.

It was now or never.

 _Time to go to work._

Taking a deep breath, the young girl ran. To any outsider observing the situation they might have thought it complete madness that the young Hyuuga was charging headlong into the deadly melee instead of as far away from it as possible.

It seems then, in that moment, that Himawari didn't care about the swirl of blades and streams of water and fire flying around her as she made her way towards the epicentre. Towards Sasuke, now trapped by a mass of bodies weighing him now.

Then Himawari was there. The small girl had zipped her way between the bodies, evading the desperate attempts of surprised sound shinobi trying to catch her small form weaving her way through the bloody combat. Himawari used her kunai, taken from Sae's dead teammate, and plunged the blade, tip first, into the dying man's wrist. The blade went straight through and Himawari found her efforts rewarded as the man's grip spasmed open allowing Sasuke the use of his sword hand once again.

He wasted no time in reclaiming his blade and in a microsecond used Kusanagi to block the sword slash aimed at his neck before sliding Kusanagi's tip forward into the breast of his would-be executioner, ending her life instantaneously.

Now Sasuke only had to deal with those ninjas holding onto his legs, arm and torso.

"Stand back from me." He warned Himawari as, in a moment he gathered and moulded his chakra.

Unaware of what was coming, Himawari nevertheless recognized the warning in his voice and scrabbled back in a hurry.

The air around Sasuke hummed and crackled before the immediate space around him filled with lightning. The sheer power surrounding Sasuke was so intense that the shinobi holding onto were more than just fried to crisp. They were turned to ash, disintegrated.

Shaking the residue from his arms Sasuke dashed forward in time to decapitate another ninja reaching out towards the stunned Himawari.

Sasuke was impressed despite himself. Himawari looked surprised at the power that he displayed but there was no sign of revulsion at the act. The little girl was tough as nails that was for sure. That didn't change things though.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Hyuuga?!" Sasuke hissed, eyes narrowed. The remaining shinobi had pulled back slightly, likely to gather their strength and take stock of the situation. This gave them a moment of respite.

"Helping you Uchiha!" Himawari snapped back, the tension of the situation she was in finally sinking in. Her entire body, from the skin to the bones, was aching from the stress of the day's events.

"How exactly is this helping me?"

"They're not allowed to kill me."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious…" Sasuke trailed off when he realised what she was saying. They couldn't kill her. Even hurting her in any serious way was pushing the extent of their orders. For some reason the maniacs and mercenaries after Himawari needed her alive. Sae had even confirmed as much.

Himawari intended to use that to their advantage. Himawari's strategy was to use herself as a shield, protecting him from harm while he dealt with the ninja.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in thought. It was a risky strategy. Himawari wouldn't be able to cover every angle and she'd have to stick close to him. There was also the chance that she could be hit by a stray blow.

For a moment Sasuke found himself considering the morality of it all. Using a child as a human shield even if it was her idea to begin with. The man grimaced.

Well he wasn't a hero… so it wasn't a problem.

"Shit. Alright, let's do this kid." He grumbled resolving himself to this decision.

"Cool. Let's do this. As a team." Himawari stated, her resolve strong.

Sasuke nodded and agreed with a simple 'Hn'.

"Isn't this just adorable! The two of you fighting together like some sort of family." Sae hissed. Her eyes were no longer shining with the same intelligence and cunning as before. Instead the woman had adopted a feverish outlook.

With Himawari acting as both shield and interference the Uchiha had had little trouble in dispatching the remaining shinobi.

It took just a few minutes.

Now all that remained were Nakata Sae and two more Silent Step ninja.

"You're not getting away." Himawari said softly, her tone filled with a deadly seriousness at odds with her normal demeanour. It was said with such certainty that Sae's next words died on her lips and Sasuke's eyebrow rose slightly in surprise.

After a moment's hesitation, Sae regained herself and with a subtle flick of her hand the Silent Step rushed forward.

 _Must've run out of kunai._

Himawari wasn't surprised when Sasuke rushed forward to meet the oncoming threat. Under different circumstances the girl supposed that she would've found that annoying. But these weren't different circumstances.

The woman standing in front of her, now without defence, was the same woman who murdered Kouda.

Kouda. The first person she ever saw upon waking into her new life. The old man who raised her, fed and sheltered her. The man who gave her both a family and a reason to keep on living. The man who gave his life for her.

As Himawari's singular gaze raked Sae's form her vision filled with red. Sae's expression became slightly nervous as Himawari's eye, unbeknownst to her, turned lilac and the strange, faint whisker lines adorning her cheeks became more pronounced.

Himawari took one step forward. Then another.

She kept putting one foot in front of the other towards Sae. Her knuckles bruised and bloodied shone prominently in the moonlight as she tightened her grip on the kunai. On some level, Himawari wasn't entirely sure how in control of her own motor functions she was anymore. Her mind was so consumed with focus on how to deal with this opponent.

One foot in front of the other. Sae took a slight step back.

Under different circumstances Himawari supposed that she would find the idea of making a trained shinobi retreat in fear from her, an untrained child, a funny one.

But these weren't those circumstances. She had earned that fear when she blew off a man's skull and covered herself in his blood and brain matter. She wasn't a scared little girl right now. Himawari was a monster out for revenge.

"You think you can defeat me?! You're just a little girl hiding behind a washed-up outcast!" Sae screamed at her. This time the fear was clear and present in her widened, frantic eyes.

Himawari understood her fear. Once there were over a hundred shinobi accompanying Sae, ready to kill any foe who dared to oppose their mistress. Now there were only two remaining.

A muffled cry rang out. Now only one remained.

"You people…" Himawari began quietly.

Another step and another retreat.

Himawari took off her eyepatch and put it in her pocket. Sae found herself confronted with a vision of a glowing orb and a deep dark pit that was the young girl's eye socket.

"You took my eye."

Another step and another retreat.

"You took my memories. In doing so you killed who I was before."

Another step and another retreat.

"You scarred my body."

Another step and this time Sae found herself unable to retreat any further. Sae backed up into the unmoving, cloaked form of Sasuke Uchiha.

In her retreat from the blood covered Hyuuga girl, the Sound nin had failed to notice that the Uchiha had dropped her last remaining ally.

He made no move to stop her as she sprang away. The Uchiha remained as still and silent as a statue. The scarlet eyes of his Sharingan met her own without emotion. The tomoe were spinning gently but Sae couldn't feel any of the tell-tale markers that she under a genjutsu.

"The worst thing you did? You did that all alone. Your gravest sin against me." Himawari spoke, her voice so much closer than it was before

"You killed my friend. A harmless old man who wanted only the best for me. A kind man who never got the chance to make up for his regrets." Himawari's voice whispered just behind her. Far too close for the kunoichi's liking

Sae, knowing that there was no way out now that the Uchiha was there turned to her only remaining option.

In a flash she threw a handful of shuriken at Sasuke before turning kunai in hand and aimed it with the intention of plunging the blade into the young girls' heart.

The lords' orders be damned!

What happened next was truly unexpected.

The blow had been quicker than Himawari expected and she didn't have the time or energy left in her body to dodge out of the way. Instead Himawari followed Sasuke's advice from earlier.

She did the unexpected.

Himawari let go of her knife, raised her hand, palm outwards and she caught Sae's blade.

… 'Caught' was certainly an optimistic term though. Rather the blade passed through Himawari's palm and stopped at the hilt.

The pain was agonizing and Himawari had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. As bad as the pain was it was little more than a pinprick compared to the burning hellfire she had experienced upon awakening for the first time.

Whatever Sae or Himawari's next intended actions were, they became irrelevant as Sasuke's blade protruded from Sae's ribcage.

The effect was instantaneous. Sae collapsed onto the ground even as Sasuke withdrew Kusanagi. Sae lay there on her back, blood pooling from the wound into the ground.

"This isn't possible… Isn't possible." Sae mumbled. The blood was gushing from the wound at a rapid pace. The increased blood flow must've been a result of the shock that Sae was experiencing.

"I told you how this would end." Himawari said quietly. The rage had left her voice only to be replaced with a quiet sadness.

"No! It can't end like this!" Sae gurgled, her lungs beginning to fill with blood. "The things I've done... the people I've hurt to get this far..."

Sasuke, for his part, crouched onto the ground next to Sae. He took Sae's hands into one of his own and began muttering something softly, his voice too low for the words to be made out and Himawari decided not to comment on it.

"You think this is over? You think that this hunt ends with me? We're everywhere little girl and we will never stop coming. We will hunt you until the end of days for as long as you live."

"I don't care." Himawari mumbled.

"What?" Sae mumbled, her voice slurred and bloody froth appearing at the corners of her mouth.

Himawari knelt down beside Sae and raised the kunai to deliver the finishing blow.

"I don't... I don't care." Her hand was trembling and the kunai shook in her grip like a leaf in the wind.

"I don't care who you people are. I don't care what you want with me. My life is my own and you bastards won't take it from me a second time."

"Himawari… she's gone." Sasuke informed her gently.

It was true. Sae had bled out and now Himawari's glare only met sightless eyes.

 _She's dead. Kouda's murderer is... dead._

"I don't care." Himawari repeated.

"Himawari…" Sasuke called to her gently.

"I don't care!" This time she screamed and Himawari used her free hand to wrap around Sae's throat as the Silent Step ninja had done to her not long ago.

"That's not true." The Wanderer told her. Slowly, so as not to startle her, he reached out and took the kunai from her grip. Himawari offered no resistance.

"I don't... I don-" Himawari started to say, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

"Silly girl. Of course you care." Sasuke chided her throwing the kunai away and pulling the girl towards him.

Sobs wracked their way up her throat and Himawari finally let go. Tears fell from her eyes, both the one that was there and the one that wasn't. Without thinking her arms came up and wrapped around the Uchiha's blood-stained poncho.

"I've got you." Sasuke murmured.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Himawari sobbed. No longer was she a person looking to take a life in revenge. Now she was just a terrified child covered in blood and surrounded by death.

For a brief moment the image of Himawari clutching to him was replaced with that of his stillborn daughter.

 _Is this what Mikoto would've looked like if she survived?_

The image faded and Sasuke looked upon Himawari once more. Visions of pink replaced with long locks of soft indigo hair.

 _Mikoto is gone. Himawari is here now and she needs me._

Mind made up the Uchiha held the sobbing child close to his chest. He placed his head on top of hers and began to hum a soft tune.

 _The Raven's Wings_

It was the lullaby that his mother used to sing to him as a babe.

"You're terrible at this." Himawari whispered softly to him. Sasuke replied with his signature 'Hn' and continued to hum the tune.

Despite her words, she remained where she was with her head buried into his chest. Tears continued to fall but the sobbing had subsided.

"This isn't you." Sasuke told her. "The blood. The death and mutilation. This search for answers to a life already gone. None of it is you. Whoever you were before is gone. You're just you now and it's up to you to define who Himawari is.

Himawari's grip tightened but she said nothing. Accepting her silence as answer enough Sasuke continued to hum.

"I've lost everything. I've lost everyone. I've got nothing left." Himawari finally whispered.

"That's not true." He informed her.

"What do you mean?" The Hyuuga asked quietly.

"You've got me. I'm still here."

A long silence stretched between the two as they considered the implication of those words.

"Don't leave me." Himawari implored of him. It was an incredibly unfair thing to ask of the man, she knew but Himawari needed to hear his answer. Sasuke had been there when she needed him most. In that moment she felt as breakable as glass.

"I won't... I promise."

It was a promise that he intended to keep.

* * *

Well there you go guys. I hope that it satisfied you.

I do apologise yet again that I wasn't able to post this sooner but it needed a lot of revision and I still wasn't completely happy with the final product.

Please leave a review if you are so inclined. Doing so helps me to improve my writing by pointing out mistakes and strong points and also allows me to better shape the story.

Big shout out to all of my regular reviewers including fanofthisfiction and TAYYABALARAIB.

The next chapter will start the last three or so "arcs" of this particular story. I do plan on writing a sequel, the majority of which has already been planned out.

See you all next time.

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 15: Ghosts Of The Past


	15. Ghosts of the Past

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! I'm back with another chapter of Those Who Are Lost for you to peruse.

I was so pumped from the response I got from the last chapter that I knew exactly what I wanted to write in the next one. So I started writing and this is what happened. Now I know that it's not my best work but I really wanted to advance the story a little and give some insight into the state of certain characters.

I love how quickly I wrote this even though my writing is a little shaky. I'll probably remaster all of the chapters when I finish the story... Enjoy!

Now enough of my senseless prattle! Onto the story!

Disclaimer: I do not in any claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These are the respective properties of Masashi Kishimoto and his army of lawyers.

* * *

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 15: Ghosts of The Past

* * *

 _ **HI NO KUNI - THE FOREST OF FIRE**_

The two of them remained where they were for a while. Sasuke held onto Himawari's blood-soaked form tightly and rested his head on top of hers. The girl showed no signs of discomfort and if her shallow breathing was any indication then the Hyuuga had fallen asleep, no doubt exhausted by the events of the day.

Unfortunately, the veteran shinobi knew that they couldn't remain where they were. Sae and her small army had only served to delay the pair of them. That armoured Jashinist, Toyohisa would no doubt be along soon and in their current condition the Uchiha wasn't confident about winning that fight. Particularly if he had to protect Himawari in the process.

No matter how many bodies that he and Himawari dropped tonight the Uchiha had the feeling that Toyohisa most likely had twice that number with him at least. The Uchiha's thoughts went back to his shadow clone's meeting with the man and his apprehension rose.

Most if not all the town of Sandy Springs had been replaced with the Silent Step and the man grimaced as he predicted the numbers that they would have to face if they were to stay put. Even if the Silent Step _could_ be dealt with, something about the priest of Jashin sent alarm bells ringing inside of his head.

The man was far more dangerous than he advertised and what was advertised was worrying enough.

 _Jashinists are practically unkillable and almost always crazy bastards to boot._

Letting out a small sigh the Uchiha got to his feet, shifting Himawari so that she was resting in his arms, one arm under her back and the other under her knees. Shaking his head to clear it of exhaustion Sasuke carried the young girl away from the scene of carnage and bloodshed that the clearing had become.

Not wanting to wake Himawari with a whistle to call Kamui, the Uchiha instead reached out with his senses and searched for his mount's faint but distinct chakra signature.

He could sense a few faint flickering chakra signatures in the clearing they had vacated. No doubt a few of the Silent Step had survived the battle but their chakra flares were dimming with each passing second, a clear indicator that they were not long for this world without medical aid.

Sasuke deemed them no threat as they were retreating at a snail's pace, most likely crawling away trying to keep their intestines from spilling out.

It took him only a few moments to find Kamui, grazing contentedly on a patch of grass and completely unconcerned with the violence that had occurred.

"Hey there girl." Sasuke called to the horse softly. He began humming gently to set Kamui at ease just in case she wasn't as calm as she appeared.

The horse remained composed and continued grazing and so Sasuke placed Himawari into the saddle before hauling himself up behind her. His arms encircled the girl and he grabbed hold of the reigns. This was done so that Himawari wouldn't fall during the ride. They were going to have to move fast to put some reasonable distance between themselves and their pursuers and Sasuke didn't want a repeat of what happened in Whittlebone Canyon.

Himawari didn't bat an eyelid and remained dead to the world.

 _She's going to be out for a long while._

"Alright girl." Sasuke began, leaning forward slightly to pet Kamui's mane. They needed to get moving but that raised the question of where to go.

Where would be safe?

Under normal circumstances the obvious answer would be Konoha. Himawari had been very clear though that she had no interest in going there. The girl's fear of the Hyuuga clan and what they might do to her outweighed the safety provided by the Leaf's walls and armed shinobi forces.

If he was being honest with himself Sasuke was also reluctant to return home. The things that had happened there before he left ensured that the Village Hidden in the Leaves was a tainted place for him. It was a place that meant nothing but pain and regret to him now.

Shaking his head to clear it, the Wanderer thought about his other options. They needed someplace safe and out of the way. A place where the enemy wouldn't immediately think to look for them. That ruled out any form of civilization or trail lodgings. The forest would give some temporary protection provided they could make it in deep enough but it wouldn't be long before the enemy started scouring the forest in force.

A thought flitted across his mind unbidden and the Uchiha cursed loudly.

It was certainly unexpected and it would take little more than a day to get there. Maybe less if he gave his steed a chakra boost. They would only have to make one stop along the way in order to gather food, clean themselves and take care of Himawari's hand which was dripping blood all over the saddle and Kamui's coat.

The horse snorted as another string of expletives left her rider's mouth. After a moment more of internal struggle the Uchiha let out one more groan before he spurred Kamui forward.

A few minutes later they reached the main trail and Sasuke whipped the rains. With a whinny Kamui leapt forward into a gallop and the three of them sped off into the night.

* * *

 _ **HI NO KUNI- FOREST OF FIRE**_

Sunlight. She could feel the warmth of it on her face. It felt good against her skin.

Beneath her fingertips she could feel the familiar touch of grass and it's faint but sweet scent wafted into her nostrils. Her entire body ached, every muscle screaming in discomfort but she didn't react to it. It wasn't the time yet.

The sound of nearby rushing water resonated inside her skull like a drum and caused her to moan in discomfort. The noise was overwhelming and sharp stabs of pain rippled throughout her head.

She could also hear the crackle of burning wood and feel the warmth of a nearby fire on her right side. It felt nice and the Hyuuga turned slightly towards the heat as an escape from the pains of her body.

That was when the events of last night came rushing back, hitting her mind like a tidal wave and for a moment all that she could see behind her eye was a sea of blood and corpses.

Himawari shot up with a scream, visions of blood fading from her mind's eye after a moment. Her throat felt like sandpaper and her stomach growled viciously in hunger. Leaning over to the side, Himawari began to dry heave as she remembered the events of last night and tried to upend the contents of her now empty stomach onto the ground. She refused to open her eyes, afraid of what sight might greet her.

The young girl remained where she was, gasping desperately for air to try and clear her head. It took some time, how much she didn't know, but eventually she found a way to overcome the nausea. Deep breaths as she was taught.

"Shit." The young girl muttered, keeping her eye closed and leaning back. Instead of the regular rise and fall of Kamui's stomach against her back which she had become accustomed to, Himawari felt hard bark in its place.

Her head pounded something fierce and she felt sick to her stomach. It took a few minutes of deep controlled breathing, something Kouda had taught her how to do during her time with him, but eventually the pounding in her head lessened and, swallowing, Himawari rested against the tree.

 _Pain lessened? Nausea under control? Good. First, shaky step taken._

Nodding slightly to herself Himawari said nothing, not trusting herself not to begin dry heaving again. At the same time, she took the opportunity to extend her senses and take stock of her surroundings. The sunlight hurt her eye as she opened it for the first time.

Remembering the events of the previous night vividly, Himawari hurriedly looked herself over. Her hand had been bandaged though a small red spot of blood had seeped through the white dressing. For a moment she stared at the appendage in confusion, unsure as to why she was so injured before the memory returned to her and she groaned at her own idiocy.

 _Oh yeah that's right. I had to be the idiot who stopped a kunai with her palm. Great job Himawari._

Feeling around her the area of her empty eye she took note that her eyepatch had been placed back on her head. She hated the feeling of that leather against her face.

 _Just another reminder of what was taken from me._

Most noticeably though was the absence of blood on her skin. Granted it wasn't completely gone but where before she had shone scarlet in the moonlight now her skin was the colour of rust on metal. Collecting herself Himawari observed her surroundings.

Massive trees, native to the Forest of Fire surrounded her on all sides, sunlight managing to beam through the treetops without too much effort though the shade of the leaves lessened its impact.

Looking to her right, Himawari took stock of the small campfire crackling just a few metres away. Half-expecting to see her protector by the fire the young Hyuuga frowned when she couldn't find him anywhere in the vicinity. However, on the opposite side of the fire Himawari made out the familiar form of Kamui. The horse was asleep and their saddlebags had been placed off to the side.

It was then that Himawari felt the distinct absence of her own clothing. Aside from Sasuke's poncho which had been placed over her like a blanket, only Himawari's undergarments had been left on her.

Alarmed Himawari sat up, hissing as she put weight on her injured hand. Thankfully it wasn't too painful as she hadn't put the weight of her hand on the ground, instead encountering something far softer.

Turning her head and looking down in the direction of her blind side, Himawari's eyebrows rose in surprise as she saw that there was a collection of items placed by her thigh.

There was a bundle of clothing, empty canteen, towel, a sponge and what seemed to be a note. Gingerly opening the piece of paper Himawari began to read.

 _Had to burn your clothing. These are my clothes from my gennin days. It's all that I had on hand that was roughly your size. I cleaned the worst of the blood off you, but I recommend using the nearby river. Just follow the sound of water._

 _We need to stock up on food, so I've gone hunting. Will be back soon._

 _S._

The note was short and to the point.

 _Just like the man himself_

Slowly and with care she got to her feet, her legs shaking as the muscles ached in protest. Gritting her teeth the Hyuuga braced herself against the tree and, once she was sure she wouldn't immediately fall back down, made off in the direction of the river.

It didn't take long for her to find the river. It was a simple matter to follow the sound of rushing water until the small river came into sight. The water was clean and refreshing. The first thing Himawari did was fill the canteen with water from the river. Taking a small sip to confirm its quality the Hyuuga nodded in satisfaction and finished up with her task and, upon filling the canteen, the young girl immediately drained it to quench her thirst before filling it again. She did this three times before she was satisfied.

Looking around to make sure that she was alone, Himawari undressed completely and stepped into the water, wincing at the sudden cold washing over her body as she submerged herself. Acting hurriedly, Himawari scrubbed furiously to rinse the remaining blood off herself. It took longer than she would've liked, the water turning into a mix of red and muddy brown as blood, wet and dried ran from her body into the river.

No matter how much she scrubbed though it was never enough. Even when it could be said that she had washed herself clean Himawari kept on scrubbing. Scrubbing until her skin went from red to white and then back to red as her skin turned raw from the ferocity with which she scrubbed. The scars that covered her body were highlighted, standing out like white chalk on a blackboard, crisscrossing every inch of skin exposed to the elements.

She said nothing as images of last night flashed across her vision. When she looked at her reflection in the water all she could see was Sae's face glaring back at her. The only sound was that of rushing water and silent tears as the young Hyuuga continued to scrub the now non-existent blood from her skin.

The scrubbing continued for some time.

* * *

 ** _HI NO KUNI- FOREST OF FIRE- THE CLEARING (A FEW HOURS EARLIER)_**

"It seems the hawk's talons are still as sharp as ever." Toyohisa murmured. Nakata Sae lay on the ground before him, her eyes closed and arms crossed over her chest in a respectful fashion. It was the least that he could do for her. She was a comrade after all and deserved at least that.

What happened next happened without warning.

The man let out a roar before drawing his blades, whirling around on the spot and bisecting the pair of shinobi standing directly behind him. They fell in pieces to the ground without so much as a scream or a whisper. Shuddering in exultation from the act of killing, the man slowly stood straight and returned his blades to their sheathes.

"You were always weak Sae. It's no wonder you fell to the Uchiha's blade." Toyohisa raised his voice, ensuring that he was heard throughout the clearing.

Surrounding him as far as the eye could see were the shinobi of the Silent Step. A sea of black-garbed men and women staring silently at the warrior unreactive to the death of their fellow ninja.

They said nothing in response to his comment and merely waited for their instructions.

"Find them. Search every road and trail. Every town and village until you find them. The ritual time is almost upon us and the Master will not be kind if we fail him." He ordered with a hiss and the sea of black vanished within moments as the ninja departed, determined to fulfil their commander's will.

"Are you going to skulk in the shade all day or do you want to come out?" Toyohisa called out loudly to the now empty clearing.

"You always spoil my fun." Motoko whined, appearing before him with a flash and a gust of wind.

 _Motoko... the Chameleon of Oto_

"And yet you never spoil mine. Life's a funny thing isn't it?" Toyohisa drawled in her direction.

"Where are the others?" The swordsman demanded, becoming quickly irritated at all the cloak and dagger business. Give him an enemy to decapitate over all this ninja business any day.

Two more shadows appeared behind Motoko, slinking forwards from the bush. Toyohisa knew that, given that one of the shadows was massive and the other quite tiny, that it could only be two people.

"Maru. Batou." Toyohisa greeted them, deranged grin on his face.

"The Master called them back. We are in the middle of a war, remember?" Maru giggled at him.

"He doesn't think we'll succeed." Batou boomed through his voicebox, voice resonating around the clearing. Toyohisa's eyes narrowed at the man in warning and his fingers twitched, keening to draw his swords and bloody them a second time that evening.

"We'll have to prove him wrong then." Toyohisa grumbled.

"I found something in Sae's possession while I was waiting for you to show up." Toyohisa grunted, patting himself over looking for the object. After a few moments of rummaging around the man found what he was looking for and withdrew it for them to see.

"What is it?" Maru asked, unable to see what the object was from where she was standing just behind Batou's protective form.

"It's the answer to our problems little Maru, that's what it is." The priest chuckled.

"It's just a kunai." Batou dismissed with a wave of his hand, his greatbow shifting from side to side as he did so.

"Look at the spider engraving. It belonged to Sae." Toyohisa held up the blade for them to see. Maru's eyes remained transfixed on the blood coating the blade.

"Well damn… good work priest." Motoko said with a whistle of appreciation.

"Maru, do your thing. It's time to hunt." Toyohisa instructed tossing the blade to the short kunoichi before looking at the forest around them. He imagined his prey running and the thought made it smile.

 _Soon my blades will taste your blood Uchiha and your soul will belong to lord Jashin._

* * *

 _ **HI NO KUNI- THE FOREST OF FIRE**_

"These are boys clothes." Himawari complained as she approached the fire. She was busy using her towel to dry her hair, grimacing as the length of her hair made the task an arduous one.

 _Maybe I should cut it?_

The thought left her uncomfortable and she quickly dismissed it. Since she first woke Himawari had never considered herself to be 'pretty'. The scars adorning her body and her missing eye were already disfigurement enough.

Her hair was the only physical part of herself that she was proud of.

Sasuke blinked a few times at her comment and then he laughed.

"Didn't you read the note? I did warn you." He explained, shaking his head with a slight smile gracing his features. Himawari deemed that the only response appropriate was to stick out her tongue at him.

Sasuke grunted before lifting the knife in his hand to point over her shoulder in the direction of the river.

"Did you enjoy your bath?" He asked her dryly to which she nodded.

Though she would never admit it to Sasuke, the young Hyuuga was surprised at the clothing he had provided for her. It was comfortable and warm despite the shirts' short sleeves. The shoes were a little too big but after adjusting the straps Himawari was satisfied that they wouldn't be an impediment. The pants were the only thing that fit perfectly, though they were a little baggy and left her lower legs exposed to the elements.

Himawari hummed in agreement, moving to stand next to him by the fire. The two of them said nothing and the minutes ticked on by. Sasuke continued to turn the spit hanging over the fire. Two plucked and gutted birds roasted over the flame and the smell of it made Himawari's mouth water in anticipation of the meal to come.

The Hyuuga spent the time warming herself and considering whether to ask the question lingering on the forefront of her mind. As the time passed and boredom pressed on her patience Himawari could deny her burning curiosity no more.

"What's this symbol on the back mean?" Himawari asked him, turning around so that Sasuke could see what it was that she was asking about.

Sasuke's form stiffened and his gaze flickered towards the shirt for a split-second before returning his attention to the roasting birds on the fire.

"It's the symbol of the Uchiha clan." He informed her, pulling out a small knife from the pouch strapped to his thigh. Sasuke began cutting into the bird to check how much further the fowl needed to cook.

"That's your clan isn't it?" Himawari pressed, curious despite herself. It was then that she realised that this was the second time that she had seen the man without his poncho on. On the back of his top there was a near identical symbol stitched there. The only difference was that his fan symbol was wreathed in flames of orange and black.

"Food's ready." Sasuke told her, his tone indicating that he was done with the topic. This caught her attention and Himawari wasted no time dropping to the ground next to Sasuke. The young girl made no effort to hide her scrutiny and shamelessly stared in the man's direction.

"I started working on your hand this morning. It'll take a few more sessions before I can fully fix the damage." Sasuke informed her casually as he picked up one of the spits and passed it over to her. The girl accepted the offering eagerly but didn't immediately tear into the meal as he expected her to.

"You can fix my hand?" Himawari asked slowly, not sure just how much she believed him. Kouda was only able to heal her due to his decades of experience as a trained medical practitioner. Even then it had taken months to somewhat recover from the damage done to her body.

Sasuke looked uncomfortable for a moment before looking away.

"For the most part though there will be a scar. My ex-wife taught me some tricks." The words were spoken with what seemed to be great reluctance.

This was interesting information and Himawari latched on to it.

"You were married?" She decided the direct approach was the best approach, her curiosity burning like a fire in her breast. Himawari knew that she was crossing a line but found she couldn't help herself.

"More than a decade ago. She was a renowned medical ninja." Sasuke said shortly.

"Why aren't you married anymore?" Himawari asked and immediately regretted it as she saw Sasuke's hands clench tightly, the knuckles turning white.

"My… Our daughter died." Sasuke bit out, his teeth bared and clenched as though saying the words caused him great pain.

Himawari nodded and said nothing more on the subject.

Himawari shifted from side to side nervously and, without thinking about it, her forefingers came up and poked together repeatedly. It was an odd sight to see her do this with a spitted bird in one hand. She had jabbed at something that she shouldn't have, and she knew it too.

"I'm sorry… I didn't mean to pry." The apology was sincere and Himawari hoped that the Uchiha could sense it too.

This got Sasuke's attention and he stopped what he was doing and turned to face her fully.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked her sharply.

"I don't…" The question was so unexpected that Himawari found she couldn't give an accurate response.

"Don't ever be sorry for asking hard questions." He told her sternly.

"Eat your damn bird already. You're making me nervous." Sasuke continued with a small, strained grin which Himawari shyly returned.

Stomach growling at her, Himawari tore into the fowl with a gusto that she wasn't ashamed of in the slightest.

Aside from a little salt and pepper added for taste the bird was quite plain and lacked the extra flavours Himawari had discovered from the ramen she had consumed not too long ago. But after the events that had occurred since then and the lack of food that small bird was, in that moment, was simply divine.

Cautiously, as though he were afraid that she might bite him, Sasuke picked up the towel she had discarded and draped it over her lap as a makeshift napkin.

Himawari merely rolled her eye at him before returning to her meal.

"Where are we going?" Himawari asked in between bites. Taking a moment to finish taking a swig from his own water canteen, filled earlier that morning, Sasuke considered how to answer that question.

"An old hideaway of mine. A sacred place I don't think that they'll try to investigate." Sasuke told her.

"Is it far?" Himawari questioned.

"We should make it there by dusk, provided that there are no unforeseen delays on the road." Sasuke informed her.

* * *

 _ **THE UCHIHA SHRINE**_

"We're here." Sasuke told her gently. Stretching and rubbing the sleep from her eye Himawari slowly became aware of her surroundings once more.

Perhaps a kilometre in the distance ahead of them, a massive building rose from the forest that surrounded them. Following the dirt trail, they came to the base of the building.

"What is this place?" Himawari asked as she dismounted Kamui and bounced forwards, her curiosity proving overwhelming once again.

"A place where no one will think to look for us." Sasuke answered in way of reply. Moving past her, Himawari's gaze tracked him. Pausing for a slight moment the man brushed away some of the vegetation that covered the side of the building next to the entrance.

The symbol of the Uchiha clan stared back at them the red faded with the passage of time. Himawari's eye widened as realization sank in.

This wasn't some ordinary building. This place belonged to Sasuke's people.

"Why wouldn't they think to look for us here?" Himawari asked nervously. Something about the stone structure made her uneasy. The Hyuuga found herself unable to pinpoint what it was exactly but there was an air of... something in the air.

"Because it's a tomb. No one looks in a tomb." Sasuke told her shortly, aiming a slight smile in her direction in reassurance.

Himawari almost choked on her breath when Sasuke said that. She opened her mouth to say something but found that she couldn't.

"My brother died here."

* * *

 _ **THE UCHIHA SHRINE- (LATER THAT EVENING)**_

The two of them had made their way into the main temple hall, Sasuke guiding them through a maze of tunnels and side rooms before reaching their destination. The young girl couldn't be sure but if she had to make a guess then she'd say that they were in the very heart of the building.

It had taken them little time to prepare for the evening, Sasuke using his varying scrolls full of supplies to set up a small camp for them. Kamui was left outside by a small disused stable at the rear of the building with plenty of hay to eat and sleep on. A fire, near the head of the room by the base of a set of steps leading to a large stone throne. The man said nothing as he set up their camp and he avoided the throne as though it were a plague.

 _This is where my brother died._

Sasuke's earlier words rang through her mind and she wondered If that stone furniture had something to do with it. Once they were done the two of them sat side by side over the flames while a pot of oats bubbled in front of them. The two ate their meals quietly, Sasuke lost in thought and Himawari uncomfortable to start a conversation in this place.

"I have a question for you." Sasuke asked finally. He had finished his meal and placed his wooden bowl and spoon on the floor just in front of him. He would wash it later.

"Hmmm?" Himawari replied through a mouthful of oats. It was a simple meal but she and Sasuke had agreed beforehand that the meat should be rationed.

And so they were eating oats rather than the delicious birds stored in the scroll by Kamui's saddlebags. Himawari didn't mind.

She didn't mind!

 _Stupid fowl all delicious and meaty! I'm fine with this exotic, tasteless… gruel._

"Are you still determined to go to the Fire Temple?" Himawari felt that Sasuke was asking a lot more with that one question than what appeared on the surface. She swallowed and took her time to think on it.

"I don't know." She replied honestly. It was certainly her goal when she had set out on this adventure, but a lot had changed in recent times.

"Oh?" Sasuke's eyebrows raised and he looked pointedly at her.

"Kouda would've wanted me to go. He would want me to find out who I am, where I come from but…" Himawari continued, flushing under the man's piercing gaze.

"But what?" Sasuke urged.

Himawari squirmed under the attention and briefly considered not answering at all. It was then she considered that it was only that morning that she had pushed for answers from Sasuke and he had obliged. The Hyuuga supposed it was only fair that she returned the favour.

"I'm not sure that that's what I want anymore." Himawari confessed quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke prodded gently.

"It's complicated." Now she was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation.

"I've got time." The Uchiha encouraged.

Swallowing, Himawari placed her bowl off to the side and began to habitually poke her index fingers together.

"It's just… I'm scared."

"Scared? Of learning the truth? Regaining your memories?" Sasuke pushed, his gaze intensifying.

"I…" The words died on her tongue, mind racing as her brain tried to catch up with her mouth.

"Talk to me." In the dim firelight Himawari could swear that his eyes of charcoal now glowed a dim red.

 _Is he using his Sharingan on me?_

"Himawari died. The person who I was before, she fell to her death. By some circumstance of fate, I took her place." The words came out unbidden and she still couldn't be sure whether or not it was her or the Sharingan that made the words bubble forth.

Sasuke said nothing, content to lean back and let her continue speaking.

"I'm worried. What if, by finding out who I am, those memories come back? The old Himawari comes back and takes my place? What if regaining my memories is the thing that kills who I am?"

"… I don't know about any of that." Sasuke admitted before motioning that she could continue to speak if she wanted to.

Himawari shook her head. She had said enough and the Uchiha nodded softly in return. Sasuke reached over and Himawari handed him her bowl.

"Regaining your memories… I don't think it would cause you to disappear though." He told her gently.

Himawari said nothing but her attention was fixed to him. Her poking had stopped and the girl unconsciously leant forward

"I've seen you fight. I've seen your will and determination to survive Himawari. If there's one thing I can be sure of it's that no one can make you do anything or go anywhere that you don't want to go. I think you're too stubborn to go back to who you were before." Sasuke reassured her. The Uchiha leaned his head back against the saddlebags behind them, using them as a pillow and settled himself into a more comfortable sleeping position.

"Besides, who you are now could be exactly who you were before." Sasuke continued, his eyes closing and crossing his arms.

"You can't know that." Himawari whispered, head turned and gazing off at the stairs she had sighted earlier.

"No, I can't. But I know you. There is no past Himawari and then you. You are Himawari. You've always been you and always will be even if you don't remember everything." The gentle tone gave way to something far more serious.

"What if I don't want to remember in any case?" The way she said it indicated to Sasuke that Himawari thought she had spoken aloud some forbidden taboo.

The Uchiha chuckled softly at that, stopping only when he felt a small fist slam into his shoulder.

"It's your choice. Memories can be good or bad." Sasuke informed her.

"That's not an answer." Himawari couldn't help but grumble in annoyance. Just once it would be nice if someone could give her a definitive answer.

Ever since she had woken up there had been this shadow hanging over her shoulder. Like some random event could occur such as smelling a specific flower or hearing a word and then that would be it. She would fade away to be replaced with a stranger who had a past.

"I can't tell you what to do here. Only advice I can give you is to listen to your heart. Deep down you already know whether or not you want to remember your past or whether you're content to forge a new future."

"That doesn't sound like the best advice." Himawari knew that she was just complaining at this point, but the frustration of the situation was eating away at her.

Sasuke shrugged at this.

"Never said I gave good advice either." He said this with an air of friendliness and Himawari couldn't help but chuckle.

A long silence passed between the two of them when, surprisingly Sasuke broke the stillness of the air.

"Are you really worried about losing yourself again?" He said it in a half whisper almost as though he didn't expect her to hear his words.

"I am… I don't have anywhere to belong." She hated how broken her own voice sounded.

The Uchiha's knuckles rapped along the floor and his features morphed into a frown as though debating something.

"Sasuke?" She called out gently. The moment she did his eyes snapped open and he looked directly at her, his gaze now undoubtedly burning scarlet.

"Himawari." Sasuke stated. The young girl said nothing and merely watched as her companion got to his feet and looked down at her.

"Come with me." His voice left no room for argument.

Leaning her head back she looked at him but try as she might though, she couldn't make out the emotion in those eyes of his.

Shrugging, Himawari got to her feet as quietly as she could, taking her sleeping blanket with her. Wrapping the material around her into a makeshift cloak Himawari closed her eye and followed the older man away from the firelight and into the dark. He led her away from the firelight and towards a doorway tucked away in the corner of the hall.

With a few simple handsigns the man let out a small puff of flame as he lit the torches adorning either side of the entrance.

"Take the other torch." Sasuke ordered as he moved to the right of the entrance and grabbed one of the two torches.

Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves the girl reached out, grabbed a torch from the sconce on the wall next to the entrance to the stairway and proceeded down the stairs with her guardian.

Wherever it was that he was taking her, Sasuke refused to say a word about it and nothing she did would get him to respond. He just continued to lead her on into the dark.

The stairs descended deeper than she imagined, and, at an unhurried pace, it took them about ten minutes to reach the bottom. The glow of torches behind her was comforting and she was glad that she thought to light the sconces with her own torch as they made their way down the staircase. The dark seemed to hold little sway over the Uchiha though.

Sasuke had no such considerations and walked forwards with the familiarity of someone who had walked this path before. At the bottom of the stairs the Uchiha came to a complete stop and Himawari almost ran into the back of him, stopping herself just in the nick of time.

"Go on in. I… need a moment." His voice came out strangled and Himawari's eye went wide in shock as the Uchiha reached out with his hand and rested against the wall.

Sensing that it was the wrong time to say anything, Himawari stepped gingerly past him and into the room.

Calling it a room was an understatement. Hall didn't quite cover it either.

Himawari found herself in a what seemed to be a gargantuan cavern. Obviously man made as though it were a room made for a family of giants. It was dark, and the smell of damp was in the air. Raising her torch, the young Hyuuga made her way off to the left in search of the wall. After about a minute of walking she reached the corner of the room and breathed a small sigh of relief when she found more torch sconces affixed to the wall separated by regular intervals.

Lighting them as she went, Himawari frowned as she noticed grooves in the wall. Whatever it was it was covered in moss and rectangular.

Reaching out with her bandaged hand, Himawari began brushing away the moss and dust that had gathered over the years of neglect.

As more and more of the object became visible Himawari recognized the object as plaque. There was writing on the plaque but when she tried to read it she found that she couldn' writing was ancient and faded.

Letting out a 'hmph' of annoyance, she moved further along the wall. The space was truly massive, and she gave it a few minutes. As she journeyed along the wall, lighting torches as she went she noticed with a certain degree of shock that there were hundreds and hundreds, if not thousands of plaques lining the wall. From just shy of the ceiling, meters above her head to as far down as her ankles.

Coming to a stop she raised her torch to look at one of the plaques, much more modern and free from moss and cobwebs. The writing was legible and Himawari found that if she raised her torch close she could make out the characters.

 _Saiki Uchiha_

 _Death in battle_

 _Fierce protector_

" _The power of our rage shall defend our home."_

Brow furrowing, Himawari moved across a few spaces and inspected another one.

 _Takeo Uchiha_

 _Death in battle_

 _First Avenger_

" _Our vengeance shall shield the Leaf."_

Himawari's eye widened in realization as she discovered the nature of the plaques.

 _They're memorial plaques… this place is some kind of tomb!_

Understanding the nature of the place now and realizing that the further into the hall that she traversed, the more and more recent the plaques seemed.

She took her time reading over every memorial that she could find that was within her reach. Himawari repeated this pattern for what felt like hours before finally she reached a plaque that was different to the others.

 _Mikoto Uchiha_

 _Died_

 _Strong Matriarch_

" _A light in the darkness can save anyone."_

There were words scratched into the stonework beneath the quote. Characters etched there with what looked to be the tip of a blade or perhaps a chisel.

 _Loving Mother._

The next one over spoke of a Fugaku Uchiha, but the only word scratched at the bottom of it was _Father._

"This is the Hall of Names. Every Uchiha born and dead, their names are placed here." Sasuke told her. His sudden presence behind her caused her to jump and turn with a shriek. Placing her injured hand over her heart Himawari glared at the man, her blue eye shining with anger.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She hissed.

"You scare too easily." Sasuke smirked before coming to stand next to her. He lightly kicked a plaque two places below the one belonging to Fugaku.

"This one's mine." He remarked. Himawari bent down to inspect the plaque before noticing that there was another one right below that.

 _Mikoto Uchiha (II)_

"This is your daughter's plaque isn't it?" She asked quietly. Sasuke's silence was answer enough.

"Why are the rest of the plaques left blank?" As soon as she said the words Himawari realised how dumb the question was. She already knew the answer to that question.

"Because I'm the last of the Uchiha clan." Sasuke answered her calmly.

Himawari reached out and traced Sasuke's name engraved in the plaque. It felt so strange to see it right in front of her with the man himself standing at her side.

"You're worried about losing yourself." Sasuke didn't put it in the form of a question and instead stepped forward. The Uchiha withdrew a kunai, knelt and raised it to the blank plaque next to his own.

"What are you doing?!" Himawari squealed as the man began carving characters into the stone, the tip of the blade glowing blue with chakra.

"Making sure that you'll always have something."

 _Himawari._

"Until you make up your mind."

 _Kouda._

"I'm going to give you a people to belong to."

 _Uchiha_

* * *

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. My purpose for this chapter was just to expedite the story a little. Show the development of the characters and move the plot onto the next step.

I did originally include a segment from Konoha but I took it out to include in the next chapter instead.

If you enjoyed the story so far then please let me know what you think by leaving a review. They help me to refine my technique.

I also want to give a big shout-out to **HiimekoO3** for the touching review. It's the kind of review that reminds me why I love fanfiction so much.

Also a shout-out goes to my regular reviewers whose continued support helps me to continue writing my stories.

Until next time my fellow fanfictioners.

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 16

The Festival of Fire


	16. Meanwhile in Konoha

Hello there my fellow fanfictioners! It certainly hasn't been that long hasn't it? ;)

I felt that I owed you all a few chapters after such a long wait and so here it is!

Now before anyone points it out, I know that this isn't the promised Festival of Stars chapter. I inserted this chapter first because I felt it fit better and that it had been a while since I showed what was going on in Konoha with everyone else.

Hopefully this chapter can shed some light on what our favourite characters are thinking and doing.

The next chapter will be the Festival of Stars which I originally intended to post.

Now then, enough of my senseless prattling and on to the story!

I hope you all enjoy the chapter and leave me lots of yummy reviews so I can know if you enjoyed it or not ;)

Disclaimer: I do not in any way claim ownership of Naruto or Naruto Shippuden. These epic franchises along with Boruto are the respective properties of the almighty Masashi Kishimoto, long may he reign!

* * *

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 16: Meanwhile in Konoha

* * *

 _ **KONOHA- HOKAGE'S OFFICE**_

His day began with a series of hard knocks on the door. Naruto shot up with a start causing a fair number of papers on his desk to go flying in all directions.

"Kami damn it!" The Uzumaki groaned his head falling back to the surface of the wood. "What is it?!"

He had been working through the night. The confrontations with the forces of Sound had been keeping him at work longer and longer every week that passed. As the days passed Naruto found his respect for Baa-chan and Kakashi sensei growing ever more.

 _How the hell did she cope with this during the Fourth Great Ninja War? Oh yeah... she was a gambling addict and an alcoholic._

There was so much that needed to be done as well. Negotiations with the various merchant guilds, inter-clan contracts and marriage agreements, weapon requisition forms and curriculum discussions for the Ninja Academy to name but a few.

The door opened, and Naruto's eyebrows rose as Sakura poked her head into the room, taking in the disarrayed state of the place and her teammate with a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Sakura, do come in." He said in greeting, using his most authoritative 'Hokage' voice which didn't fool his teammate for a second.

 _Worth a try at least._

"Having a difficult morning?" The pinkette teased. He stuck his tongue out at her, leaning back in the chair and stretching to try and shake the residual fatigue from his body.

"To say the least. Had to stay all through the night." He grumbled. "It was Ramen night as well and no one makes it like Hime does."

Sakura laughed at the pout that graced the Hokage's face. No matter how dark things got Naruto always found a way to brighten the world around him. It was one of the things she loved about him.

Stepping into the room and closing the door behind her, Sakura moved to take the seat opposite Naruto while he shuffled papers around in an attempt to restore some sort of order to the maelstrom of chaos that his office had become. She froze when she caught sight of a sealed envelope bearing an all too familiar symbol. The fan of the Uchiha clan.

Sakura was frozen for only a moment before snapping out of it and taking her seat. It was long enough for the Uzumaki to notice though and he stopped what he was doing before hunching over the desk, making sure that his hands covered the letter.

 _Real smooth Uzumaki... even an academy student would've done a better job there._

"It's not what you think Sakura-chan." He began and felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as eyes of emerald snapped up to meet his own blue ones. The Uzumaki found he couldn't read the emotion in her eyes and he had to repress the urge to shiver.

If Sakura was pissed then he'd be spending an hour or two in the emergency room regardless of whether he was the Hokage or not.

"The situation with Sound is escalating far more quickly than we anticipated. Our away teams have already been engaged in a few skirmishes." Sakura kept her silence and her face betrayed no emotion either.

Taking this as a sign to continue, Naruto cleared his throat and continued in a rushed tone. He needed to finish before she smacked him into the side of the hospital three blocks away.

 _At least it's only three blocks away. Could've been four._

"We need him Sakura-chan. If things come to a head and we find ourselves engaged in open war with Sound then we need Sasuke on our side. Not just because of his skill and power but also his intimate knowledge of how Oto operates and fights." He opened his mouth to keep on listing the myriad of reasons why his best friend needed to come home but Sakura cut him off with a raised hand and he felt his mouth close so quickly that he could hear his teeth clack together.

 _I'm the Hokage! I shouldn't have to justify calling Teme home!_

He didn't say this out loud of course for fear of having the medical nin knock his teeth out of his mouth. So instead he waited for Sakura to make the next move.

The pinkette reached into the pouch at her side and withdrew an envelope. Quietly she placed the item in front of him.

"You're right Naruto." She said neutrally causing the Uzumkai's eyebrows to shoot to the top of his head in surprise.

"Send that to him as well please." Sakura murmured, getting to her feet and turning to the door.

"Sakura…" Naruto began only to trail off when her fists visibly clenched at her sides.

"You were right from the beginning Naruto. I should have told him about Sarada a long time ago. I was hurting and I was scared that if he knew he'd take her away from me." Her back to was him so he couldn't see the tears gathered at the corners of her eyes but he could see her shoulders tremble with the effort of keeping it in.

"Teme would never do that. You know he wouldn't and if he did then I'd stop him. We'd all stop him." Naruto assured her as gently as he could.

He could see her nod slightly before she wiped her eyes and opened the door. Opening the door the pinkette hesitated before leaving.

"I'm going to take Sarada to the Uchiha Shrine. I think it's important she understands her lineage even if she doesn't want to accept it. We'll leave in the morning and be back in a few days." With that Sakura was gone, the door closed before he could say anything on the matter.

Sighing the Jinchuriki considered the envelopes before him. Getting some string from one of the desk's many drawers he bound the envelopes together, Hokage business on top and personal business on the bottom. Making the appropriate hand-sign Naruto summoned a frog from Myoboku.

"What's up boss?" The creature croaked cheerfully.

"Take this to Sasuke. Waste no time." Naruto ordered, handing the letters to the amphibian who saluted before hopping out of the window with a cheeky 'See you later boss!'.

The frog would have no trouble finding the Uchiha wherever he may be in the world. The two of them had placed specialized tracking seals on their… unique arms before Sasuke had left. That way if either needed the other they could get in touch no matter the circumstance.

Getting to his feet the Hokage stood by the window and observed his village. The sun was only just beginning to show itself above the heads of the Hokage carvings.

Despite everything that happened the Uzumaki couldn't help the grin from forming on his face. If anyone could be counted on it would be the Teme.

With the two of them working together Oto didn't stand a chance and once that business was taken care of…

Well if there was anyone who could find and bring Himawari home then Naruto knew that it would be Sasuke. No one was more adept at finding people than the Uchiha. He'd found Itachi after all.

 _You've spent enough time away from home Teme. It's time to come home._

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Naruto smiled as memories of Himawari flashed across his mind's eye.

Playing in Konoha Park.

Celebrating with Hime and Boruto as Himawari blew out the candles of her birthday cake.

Treating her to her first ever bowl of Ichiraku Ramen.

Having her bouncing around his office, a little ball of energy, while he tried to perform the duties of his office.

Holding her close when she was sad or had had a bad dream.

Trying to teach her how to throw a kunai and failing miserably.

It had been some time since Himawari had been lost. Nearly a year now and there were those who told him that it was pointless to keep searching. That too much time had passed for her to have survived. That Himawari was gone and he should begin mourning for his child.

 _Screw those people!_

Even as the thought crossed his mind Naruto found himself thinking of his wife and son. The two of them never said it but he knew the truth.

Hinata was already grieving silently and had made it her mission to get him to come to terms with their daughter's fate. Boruto blamed him for what happened to his sister but was too angry to even confront him on the issue. No matter the popular opinion Naruto couldn't stop believing.

He was too stubborn to stop believing in the best outcome.

His daughter was alive, he could feel it in his soul and he would be damned if he just gave up on her.

 _Come home already Teme. I need you to help me find my little girl._

* * *

 _ **THE UCHIHA SHRINE**_

"Good! Now do the next one." Sasuke nodded in her direction. Himawari grinned at him, her skin glistening in the light of the fire as she slipped into the next kata.

"This is too easy!" She boasted as she performed the first set. Sasuke merely grunted and motioned for her to continue.

 _I'm Himawari. Himawari Kouda Uchiha._

The name kept running through her head, sending a thrill down her spine each time as she spun around the hall her palms extended and glowing blue with chakra. It had been only a day since their trip to the Hall of Names beneath the shrine and the young girl was still reeling from the change.

Things had changed when Sasuke carved her name on the plaque next to the one bearing his own name. It was hard to explain but things felt infinitely more real. She had a true name now.

True it was only a temporary shelter. A name which, Sasuke assured her, she could keep until or if she ever found out her real identity.

 _I have a real name now._

It still gave her goosebumps. It was something real and proved her existence. She wasn't Himawari the poor girl with no memory now.

She was Himawari Kouda Uchiha and her possibilities were endless, her future infinite. She felt like clambering onto the roof of the shrine and screaming her new identity out to the world.

"Watch your footing." The Uchiha drawled in a bored tone. Himawari nodded, wiping the sweat away from her forehead and adjusting her stance before resuming the kata.

As she whirled through the positions her eye observed the Uchiha. He sat there on the first step of the main shrine they resided in. Sasuke still avoided the stone throne behind him like it was the plague. The man currently had a piece of jerky sticking out of his mouth and he chewed slowly while poring over a scroll he had unfurled in his lap.

"Stop staring at me and focus on completing the set." He admonished lightly not even looking up from the scroll.

Flushing red with embarrassment for a moment the young girl nodded and continued with the set determined to finish the dance of combat she found herself in.

Himawari had no idea why Sasuke had decided to do what he did and he hadn't truly elaborated on his reasonings behind the decision. All she knew was that the man had given her something precious. A name and a people.

Her fist flew forwards to smash into the jaw of a non-existent enemy.

Her thoughts flew back to when she first woke up into this crazy life of hers. She remembered the feeling of helplessness and agony as the wounds across her body sent ripples of fiery pain to every nerve ending in her flesh. She had been helpless, a victim of fate.

She wouldn't be helpless again.

Eye narrowing, Himawari performed a spin kick against another invisible opponent.

"Never kick higher than your opponent's knee. It's too risky." Sasuke called out.

"Got it." The young Hyuuga replied shortly not ceasing her activity.

She remembered the feeling when the Oto nin's hands wrapped around her throat. Then the act of being little more than a human shield so her protector could do all the work. Himawari remembered the feeling of being useless.

With a yell she slammed a glowing palm against the ground. The move created a small impression in the ground and several tiny cracks appeared in the stonework surrounding the point of impact.

She grinned at the display of her own power.

"Stop breaking my floor."

"Sorry." She replied sheepishly although a small smile remained on her face.

 _I am Himawari Kouda Uchiha and I am strong._

It took a little time and several corrections and pointers from Sasuke, but she was able to finish the set with somewhat shaky grace.

"Alright that's good." Sasuke said, motioning her over with a wave of her hand.

A feeling of triumph washed over her and Himawari bounded eagerly over coming to a stop in front of the Uchiha.

"Come closer there's something you need to see." He invited. Himawari looked at him for a moment, eyebrow raised, before shrugging and leaned forwards.

 _Must be something in the scroll he wants to show me._

That was when Sasuke sprang his trap and Himawari stepped backwards in surprise as the man poked her in the forehead.

"What was that for?" The man returned her puzzled expression with a small smirk. As if the whole thing was some private joke.

"An ancient Uchiha tradition." He told her, waving off any further questions. He placed his always bandaged hand on a character inscribed on the scroll papyrus and muttered something under his breath. A small puff of smoke obscured his form momentarily.

When the summoning smoke cleared it revealed a set of three round wooden targets on the floor just in front of the Uchiha. Sasuke rolled the scroll back up and placed it off to the side.

Getting to his feet, the man set the targets up in a row along the third step. Grabbing Himawari by the arm and ignoring the girl's protests he dragged her until she was a good distance from the targets.

Withdrawing a kunai from his pouch he offered it to her, hilt first. The girl stared at the blade, unclear as to what was going on.

"Let's do some target practice." He added helpfully. Himawari nodded and, instead of immediately accepting the kunai, she reached for her own blade only to remember that she had dropped it back at the clearing.

 _Can't exactly go back for it now._

Accepting the knife, she turned to face the targets.

"Just throw it when you're ready Himawari. I want to see what I'm dealing with." Sasuke told her retreating as he spoke until he was a few steps away from her on the side.

Nodding, Himawari got into one of the basic stances, taught to her by Sasuke when they were at the Smuggler's Oasis, and she felt another smile making its way onto her features as Sasuke nodded approvingly.

"Good. Square your shoulders a little more and try not to think about it too much." He encouraged gently.

 _She can't be any worse than the dobe._ The Wanderer thought, nodding to himself confidently.

Taking a deep breath, the Hyuuga let the kunai fly, jumping in fright when she heard Sasuke yell and drop to the floor as the kunai somehow missed going in the direction of the targets entirely and instead flew in Sasuke's direction.

Luckily the Uchiha's reflexes kicked in and the kunai sailed through the air where his head had previously occupied.

"Sorry." Himawari squeaked, running over to see if he was alright.

He accepted her hand up to show that he wasn't mad and merely sighed before handing her another kunai.

"Try again."

 _This is going to take a lot of work._

* * *

 _ **KONOHA- LEAF HOSPITAL**_

Hinata hummed softly as she busied herself with stitching together one of Boruto's shirts, damaged during a sparring match with Sarada. On the bed next to her lay Kiba, his chest rising and falling softly in time with his breathing.

Filling the room was the all too familiar beeping sound of the monitor he was hooked up to. The sound was a comforting to the Hyuuga princess as it reassured her that her teammate was still alive and strong.

Hinata had been here every day since he had made it home. Normally, Akamaru would be here too but the large ninja hound hadn't been deemed fit enough yet to leave the Inuzuka compound. The poor creature had had to carry his partner all the way back from wherever they had come from.

Shino was away on mission and was only due back in a day or so. When the bug-master returned he would relieve her from her vigil.

It had become a tradition of Team 8 that when one of them were laid up in hospital or incapacitated there would always be one of the other team members by their side until they recovered. It had been that way ever since her injury during the Chunin exams back when they were kids.

The hospital staff would check in every few hours on both their patient and the Hokage's wife at his side. They chose not to enforce the regular policies regarding visitation during the day. It was only at night that the staff insisted the Hyuuga Princess return to her family at home.

Hinata only did so with the understanding that if something were to occur, the hospital would contact her immediately.

"He could be awake anytime now." They would reassure her with each visit and each time Hinata would smile and thank them for their hard work before resuming her own post at Kiba's bedside.

Finished with her son's clothing, Hinata's mind wandered.

 _Summer is almost over...I wonder if I should make a jumper for Kiba-kun?_

"H-Hinata?" A weak voice croaked.

Eyes going wide the Uzumaki matriarch threw the shirt to the floor and rushed to her teammate's bedside.

Kiba was awake. He looked terrible, but he still managed to grin up at her as Hinata stroked his hair affectionately.

"Take it easy Kiba-kun. You've had a r-r-rough time of it." She joked. The happiness she felt was so overwhelming that tears of relief flowed freely down her face and her old stuttering problem came to the fore once more.

It took a moment for Kiba to figure out the nature of his surroundings before his eyes went wide in shock.

"Oh Kami no!" He hissed.

"W-what is it?" Hinata asked, her brow furrowed. This wasn't what she expected from Kiba upon his waking.

The hazy look in his eyes indicated that the morphine was working fulltime to keep the pain at bay but, despite the drug in his system, the Inuzuka reached over and latched on to her arm with an almost feverish intensity.

Surprised, Hinata tried to pull back but Kiba wouldn't let her, panting as the look in his eyes turned almost animalistic.

"K-Kiba-kun! You need to let me go!" Hinata squeaked trying to extricate herself from his grasp.

He shook his head ferociously from side to side and instead pulled Hinata closer to him.

"I saw her Hinata!" He hissed, teeth clenched as the pain his body was in threatened to overwhelm him entirely.

 _What did those monsters do to him?!_ _The medics must have missed something!_

"N-N-Nakata S-Sae? W-we guessed as much Kiba-kun." Hinata said trying to placate the man, placing her free hand on his shoulder and sending small amounts of healing chakra flowing from her into him.

Hopefully it would help ease his pain and he would calm down enough to let her go. It took a moment longer than she would've liked but it worked and Kiba sagged back onto the bed with a groan of relief as the chakra did its work in conjunction with the painkillers.

"Not Sae." Kiba replied eventually as he got himself under control. At times the animal within him broke out onto the surface and it took a moment or two to regain his self-control.

Then he said the words that turned her world on its head.

"Himawari. I found Himawari. Your daughter's alive."

* * *

 _ **THE UCHIHA SHRINE**_

It had taken the better part of the day and several tantrums from Himawari but Sasuke was satisfied with the final product.

Himawari would never win any marksmanship contests but she could at least hit the targets now.

As the final kunai thudded into the upper right of the middle target Himawari jumped up and down in excitement, turned to him with a massive grin on her face and her solitary blue eye glowed with excitement.

Sasuke gave her a small smile in return and poked her forehead again as he moved past her to collect the kunai scattered about the room.

Himawari didn't remain idle either. She retrieved both her towel and water canteen from the saddlebags. Wrapping the towel around her neck, the amnesiac girl took a long pull from the canteen in her hands.

"So, what do we do next?" She asked her tone making it clear that it wasn't just training she was asking about.

"We leave in the morning. With any luck the patrols that they have will have moved on, thinking we've escaped the area already." Sasuke replied neutrally.

Himawari frowned at this. Something about the way he had said those words set her on edge.

"How lucky are we talking?"

Sasuke stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. Black eyes met her blue one.

Sasuke broke first, letting out a sigh and coming to a stand in front of her.

"Pretty lucky. These people are very determined to get their hands on you." He said eventually turning to back to his task, pulling kunai out of the wooden targets.

Himawari's eye narrowed as she considered that information. There it was, that same feeling again.

"You know. You know why they're after me." She said it not as an accusation but as a statement of fact. Sasuke didn't bother denying it and merely nodded in reply.

Himawari turned away from him and faced the stone throne. Her eye traced the engravings that lined the edges of the construct and the symbol of the Uchiha clan imbedded in the stone head.

Sasuke had known and he hadn't told her. Himawari could almost feel her brain tear itself in two as it argued against itself. On the one hand it meant that he hadn't trusted her with the information but it was also possible that he just hadn't found the right time either.

So much had happened in so short a period of time. Her eye remained transfixed on the symbol of the clan, looking to it as though it would provide the answers she would seek.

She made a decision.

"Why do they want me so badly?" Himawari whispered afraid of what the answer might be.

Sasuke sighed and considered how best to answer her. He looked past her to the stone chair he had been avoiding so emphatically.

Every time he looked it he could still see Itachi sitting on that throne, gloating at him. Goading Sasuke into killing his own brother.

He was there right now. Sitting in that chair and gazing solemnly into his own soul.

 _Can you do what needs to be done little brother?_ He could almost hear Itachi's voice whispering in his ear.

 _You'll never be a hero. You don't have the hate to be one._

Hatred. His brother's twisted way of trying to ensure that Sasuke would remain loyal to the Leaf and his comrades. Itachi's lies had nearly cost him everything, nearly led him down the wrong path.

"I won't lie to you." He said.

That was what Itachi did. He wasn't Itachi and he never would be. Himawari said nothing, waiting for him to speak. On the throne the image of his brother faded away as though it had never been there.

"When we escaped Sandy Springs, I left a shadow clone behind. He encountered the head of these people. His name is Toyohisa and I'm afraid I don't know too much more than that about the man." Sasuke admitted with a shrug of his shoulders, not that she could see it.

"These people… they want you for some sort of ritual. Apparently, you're some sort of special child and if they take you…" He trailed, surprised that he needed a moment to gather his courage to say what he had to say next.

"They need your blood. It has some special property which extends life and they want all of it." Sasuke told her softly. "They mean to make a human sacrifice of you."

Himawari said nothing for the longest time. The only signs that she heard him were the shaking of her shoulders and the faint pitter patter of tears hitting the stone floor.

"Special? I'm not special Sasuke. I'm nobody, I'm just a girl named Himawari." Himawari whispered finally.

Sasuke frowned and without hesitation pulled the girl towards him. Himawari didn't resist and turned to wrap her arms around his waist, burying her head in his poncho.

"From what I've seen… you're definitely not special." He remarked. Lifting her chin with his finger he made sure she looked at him.

"You're not special Himawari because you are without a doubt much better than just _special_." He told her warmly.

"I…" She began only to be cut off as he poked her in the forehead again.

"You're completely unique. I've never met anyone like you and I most likely never will." This made her smile weakly at him and she buried herself in his clothing once again.

"They can send a thousand bastards after you Himawari. I made you a promise and no one will make me break it, not even Kami himself." He promised her, his voice turning darker than he intended though Himawari either didn't notice it or just didn't care.

"Thank you for being honest with me." Himawari whispered before pulling away, wiping her eye with her towel and walked over to the saddlebags, pulling out the scrolls he would need to prepare camp for the night.

She'd been memorising which scrolls he used for different things.

 _Clever girl._

"I'll always be honest with you." He promised as she handed him the scrolls. Himawari just nodded, saying nothing and moved to take a seat next to the fireplace.

"Himawari?" Sasuke called her to a stop and she turned to look back at him in askance.

"Come on Uchiha. You still need to perform the next set before I'll let you eat dinner." He told her with a wink and a small smile.

Himawari froze for a moment unsure of whether or not the Uchiha was actually being serious. When she saw that he was the girl cursed before pushing her way past him in a huff and began the kata, her movements highlighting her annoyance.

Sasuke watched her for any errors in the form. As he did, his back to the throne now, he pictured his older brother standing just behind him with a smile on his face.

He wondered what Itachi would say if he could see him now.

 _Well done Sasuke._

* * *

 _ **KONOHA- THE GATE OF FIRE**_

The main entrance to the village was as filled with foot traffic as ever. Merchants conducting their trade; tourists visiting the Hidden Villages and dignitaries from the other places of civilization within the Elemental Nations.

Then there were the residents themselves. Ninja and civilian alike who made use of the Gate of Fire to go about their business inside and outside of the village.

"I don't want to do this!"

Sakura sighed for the third time in as many minutes. This trip was already going to be difficult enough for her without having to drag along a reluctant teenager as well.

But bringing her daughter was the whole point of the journey.

"I heard you the first-time baby." She said in what she thought was a placating manner.

Sarada glared at her mother for a moment before realising that that wasn't going to work. Once her mother made her mind up then there was nothing that could change it. The two of them passed under the archway of the gate and out onto the main road.

They were both carrying large backpacks, filled with supplies and maps and other items that they may require.

Sakura led the way with Sarada trailing a step behind her.

"Why do we have to do this?" Sarada's asked quietly.

"You know why." The pinkette replied calmly.

"I'm not an Uchiha! I'm a Haruno!" Sarada said the name with such an air of pride that it brought Sakura to a stop.

The woman's heart was torn into two opposing sides. On the one hand she was proud and happy that Sarada was so insistent on being a member of her mother's family over her father's. It was such that the pinkette briefly considered calling the whole thing off and just returning home.

Home to the life she knew and had become accustomed to.

Home.

Something Sasuke hadn't had since he was a young child. Something that had been denied him or taken away whenever it was in his grasp. Sasuke who was the last true Uchiha.

Sasuke who had been desperate for family for the majority of his life.

 _He deserves to know about her._

Giving her daughter a strained smile the pinkette put her hands on Sarada's shoulders and gave a comforting squeeze.

"Sarada. You are a Haruno and you always will be." She began. Seeing Sarada's mouth open to interject Sakura shook her head gently.

Sarada closed her mouth, remaining silent and gazed at her mother. Familiar black eyes met emerald.

Sakura let out a slow breath as she met Sarada's gaze. She recognized the emotion in those eyes too well.

Pain.

Sorrow.

Rage.

Rage which could so easily turn into hatred. A curse that coursed through her child's veins and would do so until the day she died.

"You're also an Uchiha. The blood of the great clan runs through your body and their legendary power lies in your eyes. You cannot hide from your past forever Sarada. Best to confront it now while you have the advantage." Sakura told her gently.

"I'm not sure I want to meet him." Sarada mumbled her eyes thrown to the ground in shame. Sakura held her close and her heart warmed as she felt her child return the embrace.

"I know that he'll want to meet you. He'll have so much to give you Sarada, just think of the makeup birthday presents he'll have to buy." Sakura joked weakly.

"You're really bad at this mom." Sarada snorted before pulling away. Sakura let out a shaky laugh and the two began walking again. It was a day's journey to the shrine and they should make it by the morning.

"Can you tell me about him?"

* * *

Oh man! That last section was tough. Let me just say that I myself wasn't too proud of it. I am not comfortable with Sarada's character yet and I thought a test crash was necessary. I did rush the chapter in an effort to get it to you guys quicker.

Anyway... did I nail her character or was I far off base?

The next one will take me some time as I want it to be good all around.

So now the ball is rolling on the Konoha front and now we can focus on the more action packed sections of this story.

Please please let me know what you think. Good or bad but reviews help me to improve my writing plus you may get a cookie!

If you guys have any suggestions for the story or sequel I'd love to hear them.

Until next time my fellow readers!

See you in

Those Who Are Lost

Chapter 17: The Festival of Stars


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